I'll Be Okay
by Elle D'Elajoie
Summary: Kurt's senior year ends differently than he had expected. The story begins during "Dance with Somebody". AU from that point with some canon elements afterward. 32 chapters and Epilogue. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Kurt sat utterly flabbergasted by the musical animosity Blaine had so publicly lambasted him with. They had always been such a private couple. Rarely did they show any PDA, not even sitting together in Glee or at lunch. Kurt knew that Blaine was really upset about his texts with Chandler and that he considered it to be cheating, despite the fact that he had texted with Sebastian for months and had even spilled competition information to him. Kurt never had any idea that Blaine would confront him publicly and humiliate him with an angry break up song.

After the initial shock wore off, Kurt grabbed his bag, went to his locker, gathered what he needed, and exited the school building. When he arrived at his Navigator, he found Sam sitting in the passenger seat, passing the time reading an assigned book for English. Kurt opened the back door and stuffed what he was carrying into the back seat and slammed the door. He saw Sam jump. Kurt opened the driver's door. They both began to speak at the same time.

"Sorry," he apologized as he climbed into the driver's seat, "I didn't mean to make you jump."

"Kurt, I'm so sorry for singing along in there."

They both stopped speaking. Kurt looked directly at Sam as Sam began to speak again. "I'm so sorry, Kurt. I know you would never cheat on Blaine. I don't even know why I started singing along."

"It's okay. It happens. Music plays and people start singing. Thanks for saying that you know that I'm not a cheater."

Kurt started up the Navigator and eased of out the parking space. "Aren't we waiting for Finn?" Sam asked.

"No, he's going to Rachel's."

As they waited for the first traffic light to change, Sam spoke up. "Hey, you wanna get some of that low-fat, low-carb frozen yogurt at the Dairy Barn before we go home?"

Kurt nodded and changed lanes after going through the light. They rode in silence. Kurt had too much running through his mind to engage in conversation.

He pulled into the drive-thru. "What kind do you want? Looks like there's chocolate, cherry and vanilla today."

"Oh. Half chocolate, half cherry." Kurt ordered half vanilla, half cherry for himself. They waited in line, paid, collected their yogurt and then Kurt pulled into the parking lot to eat.

"So…" Sam started, then paused, looking at Kurt, whose eyes were shut and who was breathing slowly and deliberately.

"Yeah, so…" Kurt started speaking, "Blaine just utterly humiliated me and I just can't understand. I'm at a complete loss as to why he would do something so public when we've always kept our relationship so private. I mean seriously, you're my best friend and I don't even tell you about anything private about me and Blaine. I felt like I was in one of those horrible, completely humiliating, embarrassing nightmares. How could he do that to me?"

"You're the most private person I've ever met. I've never taken it personally that you've kept your love life private. I've always respected your choice about that. Again, I am so, so sorry for singing along."

"Sam, you've already apologized. I'm not mad at you, okay?" Sam nodded and faintly smiled.

They finished off their yogurt. Kurt started the truck up and headed for home. "How much more of that book do you have left to read?"

"About 30 pages, but it's taking forever. I only got through about 20 pages in an entire hour of study hall this afternoon before Glee."

"Okay. When we get home, head to my room and I'll read the rest to you so we can get started on your essay questions more quickly."

"You don't have to do that. I'll slog through it – eventually."

"No, seriously. I'm so upset about what happened earlier that there's no way I'll be able to concentrate on Calculus right now anyway. Reading to you will be a lot better use of my time than stewing and crying."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Two hours later, Sam's book and essay questions were finished and he had returned to his own room afterwards to work his Algebra 2 problems. He had just finished when the words "dinner time" floated up the stairs.

During the week, the three teen inhabitants and any guests were allowed to eat dinner anywhere they wanted.

Sam went down to eat at the table, but he was the only one there with Carole. He quickly realized that Kurt wasn't going to come down. He finished up promptly, thanked Carole, scooped up the things he knew that Kurt liked onto a plate, and excused himself from the table. He took the plate upstairs and knocked on Kurt's door.

"Come in," Kurt answered.

Sam opened the door and shut it behind him. He found Kurt lying in his bed with his textbooks strewn around him, listening to his iPod, still wearing his school clothes, which was an unusual sight.

Kurt paused the music.

"Hey, I brought you some dinner. You didn't come down when we were called."

Kurt sat up and placed his iPod and earbuds on the shelf next to his bed. "Thanks. I'm not really hungry, but I should eat something anyway." Kurt took the plate from Sam. "Do you have other homework besides English? Do you need help with anything else?"

Sam nodded and answered, "Yeah. I got it done already. I only had a few Algebra 2 problems assigned to turn in tomorrow. I'm still using the graph paper like you showed me last year. My grades are much better when I use it to do my written work on. Mr. Donnelly even lets me use it on tests after I showed him the difference it makes."

Kurt smiled briefly in response. "That's great. I'm glad it's still helping."

"Me too. Pretty much all of the ideas you've had have helped. You're a lifesaver or at least a grade saver."

Kurt continued picking at his food and eating slowly. "Do you think I'm being selfish by focusing on leaving Lima?"

"Why would focusing on your future be selfish?"

"I'm not sure. That's why I asked. What happened this afternoon has made me think about a lot of things."

"I know you're private and keep a lot of things to yourself, but being selfish is not something I associate with you in any way."

"Thanks."

Finn barged in. "Hey dude, I was wondering where you went. Are will still on for that COD game with Artie and Puck in 10 minutes?"

"Nice to see you too, Finn." Kurt said sarcastically. "Knock much?"

"Um, yeah. Hi, Kurt. Sorry." Finn said barely glancing at Kurt. "Are you coming, Sam?"

"Yeah, I lost track of time. I'll be right down." Sam turned back to Kurt. "Sorry about that. I agreed to it yesterday. If you hadn't helped me earlier, I'd have had to bail on them. Thanks again for that. You saved me from being yelled at."

"Sam!" Finn yelled from downstairs.

"Coming!" Sam responded as he ran out Kurt's door.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt was left to his own thoughts again. He began to really consider his options for a response to Blaine's performance. He put his schoolbooks away and got his laptop out. He opened a browser window and searched for a Whitney Houston song list and pulled out the songbook he had bought at Between the Sheets on Friday.

Blaine had aired their private issue publicly. Did he want to respond publicly or just find a Whitney song that he loved and sing it? He clicked a YouTube page of Whitney's greatest hits and turned the volume up just enough to barely listen while he lay back to think.

His mind began to wander back, way back to the stairs at Dalton. "Teenage Dream" flashed in his mind and how he thought that Blaine had liked him as much as Kurt liked him from the very beginning. Flash forward to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and how certain he was that after dozens of coffee dates and dorm room movie nights that Blaine was finally going to ask him out on a real date. Another flash forward to standing in line at the Lima Bean when Blaine told Kurt that he wanted to serenade someone for Valentine's Day and his heart soared only to have it come crashing down as Blaine shared his Warblers' GAP Attack plan.

A few days later, he confessed to Blaine how he thought the serenade was going to be for him and Blaine basically turned him down. Another flash of the nightmare of watching Blaine and Rachel kiss passionately and their date caused tears to start to fall. That whole fiasco nearly broke him. He put himself back together, forgave Blaine and Rachel, and had nearly moved on. Then, bam! Blaine chose him to duet with and shocked him with a kiss.

Flashes move faster. Prom. "I love you" in the Lima Bean, summer days together, school transfer, _West Side Story_ , Sebastian, Scandals.

His mind slowed back down. Scandals. Nearly eight months of "No hands below the equator." turned into "Let's do it." in the Scandals' parking lot. What made him go from "masturbation is fine" to "sex right here, right now"? Alcohol? Sebastian? Even after sleeping with Blaine the next night, he never felt sexy or desired. Scheduled make out sessions? What kind of teen boy turns down sex with his boyfriend or girlfriend? Blaine never initiated anything beyond their scheduled make outs. They'd only had sex a few times and that's when Kurt had taken the initiative. No handjobs, no blowjobs. Rachel had just confirmed yesterday that Finn was always trying to get in her pants. Why was Kurt the only interested one? Kurt pondered the issue. Maybe Blaine was asexual. No. His mind flashed back again to the previous year when Blaine was trying to teach him to be sexy. Blaine watched porn and enjoyed it. He got handsy and frisky when drunk.

"Oh." Kurt said aloud. Tears began to fall again. "Blaine doesn't think I'm sexy." His mind jumped forward to the conversation about his texts with Chandler. He said that he liked the way Chandler's texts made him feel. He asked Blaine when the last time was that he had complimented him. Blaine's response wasn't one of compliments. He didn't say, "You know I think you're sexy." or "beautiful" or "handsome." He didn't move to kiss Kurt or even hug him. "I transferred schools for you." was his response. "Wow, that's telling, isn't it?" Kurt thought.

His thoughts began to skip around again. Valentine's Day. All those romantic gifts weren't from Blaine like he had thought. Senior Skip Day. Tina, Artie, Sugar, Rory and Sam went. Why not Blaine? It was really more of a Glee Skip Day. Blaine had stopped working on songs with him and didn't want to go to the music store last Friday. He even skipped some of their infrequently scheduled make out sessions.

Kurt looked at the clock and realized that he had been rehashing everything in his mind for over an hour and that he still needed to make up his mind about his Whitney song before it got too late to practice. He flipped through the songbook he had bought and read through the lyrics to potential songs, but he didn't find a single song that fit the situation he was in. "Choices, choices, choices," he said. After much consideration, he decided to create his own Whitney medley to describe the last few years of his life. He downloaded the four songs he wanted to use from iTunes while doing a little more thinking.

He came to the conclusion that he was going to consider Blaine's song to be a very public break up declaration. He went down to the basement to find a box and when he returned with it, he began placing all of the items from his room that he needed to return to Blaine. After collecting a variety of scarves, bow ties, sweaters, a few books, some CDs, DVDs and a few other random items, he put them all in the box and taped it shut and placed it on the floor near his door.

He decided that he would present his Whitney medley on Friday and use their pre-scheduled make out time tomorrow to have a civil, adult conversation about their break up. He also decided that there was no way that he could go to school tomorrow. So, he left his room in search of Carole.

He found her alone in the laundry room. He had already decided that honesty would be the best policy and Carole had proven herself to be a good listener over the last year and a half. "Hey, Kurt. I missed you at dinner."

"Sorry about that. I had too much on my mind to be good company, but Sam brought me up a plate."

"What's weighing on your mind so heavily?"

"It's kind of long. Do you want the condensed version or the whole story?"

"Give me a minute to tell your dad where I'll be and meet me on the swing in the back yard, okay?"

"Sure." Kurt grabbed a light jacket and went out to wait on the swing.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"So what's up, sweetie?" Carol asked gently.

"Well, this week's Glee assignment is to sing a Whitney Houston song. So, Friday after school, I went to the music store downtown. I invited Blaine to come with me, but he turned me down. I went alone and while I was there, this guy complimented my outfit and my hippo brooch. He was extremely animated, like poster child for ADHD animated. Turns out he's auditioning for the music program at NYU and goes to North Lima High. He asked for my number. He was so talkative and excited about going to New York. His enthusiasm was contagious. He asked for my number, handed me his phone and I just put in my number. I'm not even sure why. It was just so unusual for someone to be so excited about something that I am so excited about. After I put my number in, he left. On Sunday, he started texting me."

"Okay. So you met a fellow music lover who's planning to go to New York in the fall."

"Right. The texts are what became problematic. A lot of them were things we could do in New York and the rest were cheesy pick up lines. It was a contest that started between us. Who could outdo the other with ridiculous pick up lines." Kurt paused to pull out his phone to show Carole of a few of the texts.

Carol looked over at his phone and began to laugh. 'You have a great asp?' These honestly look like the came from some internet list of 'lamest pick up lines ever' or something."

"That's what I thought. I made mine up, but I think he was just using Google. During Glee, Sam was reading them over my shoulder and laughing. I didn't take any of them seriously. It was just a dumb game." Kurt showed Carole his phone again. "These are the ones that Chandler sent yesterday afternoon when Blaine was in my room waiting for me to bring up our snacks for the movie we were going to watch. 'When we go to New York, let's go to the front of the plaza and reenact the end of _The Way We Were_.' And 'Can you sing into my voicemail? I want to make your voice my ring tone.'"

"Well, now the first one… I'm not sure why he'd write that. The movie doesn't have a fun or romantic ending. Hugging your ex and watching him leave with his new wife in a taxi? I can't say that I get that at all. Maybe just to go to the place where the movie was filmed? But the second one is definitely flirty and somewhat suggestive and not part of the 'game'. Has he heard you sing? Why would he ask you to do that?"

"Honesty, Carole, I have no idea. Maybe he just thought it would be funny. Like I said, he was over-the-top hyper, like a six year old after cake and ice cream at a party. Our entire conversation at the music store lasted less than two minutes. I can't really guess his motivation after a two-minute conversation. I just don't know."

"Okay. So, you said those last two texts you showed me came in while you weren't in your room, but Blaine was. I assume that he saw them and that's where your problem started."

"Well, yes and no. I'll explain the 'yes' part. He saw the texts, read through my text log with Chandler and got really upset while I was out of the room. When I came back, he questioned me and yelled and accused me of cheating on him. I told him the absolute truth. I did not cheat on him with a guy I had spent two minutes talking to and four days texting."

"I see."

"Then, he stormed out of my room and the house and I didn't hear from him or see him again until Glee last period this afternoon." Kurt started to cry. Carol handed him a handkerchief that she had grabbed before going outside. "Thanks," and he continued, "As I said, this week is Whitney Houston in Glee. Blaine stormed in after everyone else was already the room and he announced, 'This song is for anyone who's been cheated on' and then he blasted out a very emotional version of 'It's Not Right, but It's Okay'. Here, listen and watch." Kurt took out his phone again and pulled up a lyric video version of the song on YouTube. Carole's facial expression darkened more and more as the video played. Once it ended, she looked up at Kurt, who was crying again.

"Oh, honey. That's just awful! How utterly humiliating."

"It was," Kurt sobbed. "Why would he do that to me? We've never even discussed anything private at school or in public. He doesn't even hold my hand or even sit with me in Glee or at lunch half the time. Sam sits with me as much or more than he does. Everyone was just staring at me with such hate in their eyes, like 'how could I cheat on my perfect boyfriend?' I was in shock. I insisted that I hadn't cheated on him, but no one seemed to believe me."

"Surely Sam didn't believe it, did he?"

"At first, I thought he did because he was singing along during the chorus like everyone else, but he was waiting for me in the Navigator after class like usual and he apologized the instant I opened my door. He and I went for frozen yogurt on the way home. Sam's my best friend. He knows me well enough to know that I'd never cheat."

"So, texting with a flirty, hyper, recent male acquaintance, followed by a public shaming by your boyfriend of over a year."

"Yep, that's the short version"

"I see."

"I need a favor. I need for you to call me out of school tomorrow. To be honest, I have a huge paper due on Friday that's worth a ton of points. Fortunately, it's already written, but it needs a final proofing and I have to get the references typed up for the final draft to be ready to turn in. Plus, I have to present my Whitney song on Friday and deal with Blaine after school tomorrow. I'll send my homework in with Sam and have him collect up anything new that assigned tomorrow for Friday. I just need time alone tomorrow. Please?"

"Okay, Kurt. Just stay in your room tomorrow morning until after everyone leaves and I'll call the school."

"Thank you! I really have to deal with Blaine tomorrow. I don't want to put it off a day because yesterday Dad made a big deal about who few Friday night dinners we have left and I want to be home Friday afternoon and cook Dad's favorite dinner with you, if you'll help me."

"Oh, that sounds like fun. You know how much I enjoy cooking with you, honey."

"Me too."

"So, are you going to tell me the rest of your long story now that you know that you can sleep in tomorrow morning?"

"Alright. First a question for you, though. Do you want the G, PG, or R rated version of the story? I don't know how much detail you really want to hear."

"Well, the R rated version, I suppose since R will mean 'real' version."

Kurt started with the stairs at Dalton and ended with the recently skipped make out sessions. He made sure that she knew that they had never done anything inappropriate at the house, in case she felt the need to share any of this with his dad. "Oh, honey" and other empathetic expressions were heard throughout the hour-long retelling of everything that had led Kurt to the decision to break up with Blaine. By the end, they were both crying.

"I'm so sorry that you've felt the need to keep your interactions so controlled in your own home. You are both of age and have been the whole time you've known each other. I had no idea why you had felt so restricted in your own home." Carole looked down and quietly continued. "I honestly thought that maybe my presence made you too uncomfortable to be affectionate with Blaine here at home."

"No, no. It's never been you. I promise. I was given the 'inappropriate' lecture by Dad back before Blaine and I were even dating," he said using finger quotes for the word "inappropriate".

"Okay. I think he and I need to have a talk about what's appropriate for adults to do in their own homes."

"So, you've heard the back story. Looking back on everything, Blaine told me that he loved me nearly a year ago when we got back from New York. But I don't think he's in love with me. I mean I've listened to the boys around me at school for the last five years or so, and I hear them talk about the girls they find attractive - the ones they'd like to date. I don't hear any of them wishing that they could spend time alone with those girls so that hey could actually WATCH a movie." Kurt laughed sadly. "They use going to the movies as a euphemism for 'let's go make out in the theater'. Blaine actually watches every movie we watch together, whether it's in the theater, this house or his. What kind of boyfriend doesn't want to make out unless it's scheduled?"

"Sweetie. I don't have an answer for that."

"I know. Neither do I, other than a boyfriend who isn't in love with his boyfriend."

"So, you've decided for certain that you're breaking up with Blaine tomorrow?"

"Well, technically he broke up with me via song this afternoon. Practically screaming, 'Pack your bags up and leave. I'd rather be alone than unhappy.' is a pretty clear message. Although, I'm not honestly sure that was his intention. I just know that I can't really justify staying in a relationship with someone who doesn't seem to find me attractive and who doesn't seem to trust me enough to have male friends without cheating on him." Kurt paused. "Did you know that I'm not one of the guys in Glee?"

"What do you mean?"

"Think about when Finn has had 'Glee Guys' Night' here at the house. Where was I?"

Carole had to stop and think. "Not home. I just figured you already had other plans those nights. Did you not?"

"Nope. I'm just never invited, even when it's in my own house. But Blaine was invited to the first one this year and to every single one since. He's a guy, but I'm not. I'm not allowed to be one of the guys or have male friends. I have to practically hide my friendship with Sam. I can't have male friends without Blaine getting angry. If Sam didn't live here, I wouldn't even get to spend time with him. I'm so glad you and Dad let him live with us. He's really awesome. He's never treated me differently for being gay. Never. He really is the best friend I've ever had. I know everyone always thought I wanted to hang out with the girls. Hell, some people think I want to BE a girl, which is totally NOT true. It's just that the girls accepted me and the guys didn't, but with Blaine it's different. He was accepted as a guy from the very beginning."

"Wow."

"Did you know that Sam was the first to step up to defend me from Dave last year? He was the first guy I had met that didn't act like I had cooties. Sam and I were friends before he left last summer, but since he's been back and moved in, we've gotten a lot closer. This was supposed to be his senior year, you know. I don't think his parents would have agreed for him to come back if they had realized that by doing so, he'd end up having to repeat his senior year."

"Probably not."

"Sorry. I got off topic. Back to Blaine and me resolving the issues with him. Will you be home tomorrow afternoon after school?"

"I'll be here if you need me to be."

"Please? I don't want to have to talk to Blaine in public, but I'd rather not be completely alone either after his outburst this afternoon."

"Okay. I'll come home and do the laundry that I didn't get done this evening."

"Sorry about that. Thanks for listening tonight. I really just needed to talk to someone who wouldn't gossip and tell everyone my private info."

"Anytime, sweetie."

"I'm going to go work on whatever I can before I get too tired to focus and then head to bed. I'll stay in my room until you come and get me in the morning. Don't let me sleep past 9:00 though. I have too much to get done."

"Good night, honey."

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Kurt went back to his room, got his homework together, put it in a folder, went to Sam's room, and gave it to him. He gave him a brief explanation and asked him to pick up anything assigned to turn in on Friday. He gave Sam $30 to keep Finn out of the house until 6:00 the next afternoon. "Offer to take him to Pizza Hut. That ought to take long enough for you to be gone until 6:00. I just need time to talk to Blaine alone."

"No problem. I love Pizza Hut's salad bar."

"Take the Navigator in the morning. That way you can invite anyone else you want. But I'm only paying for you and Finn."

"Got it."

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Kurt went back to his room and finalized the sections of the four songs he was going to use in his Whitney medley. He chose parts from: "Greatest Love of All", "Try it On My Own", "I Have Nothing", and "I Didn't Know My Own Strength". He had the basic format down, but he'd have to do all the arranging the next day.

He showered, moisturized, and went to bed. Unfortunately, his mind didn't slow down. He lay awake until well past midnight trying to relax, but inevitably he kept thinking about how to deal with Blaine.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The morning went by as planned. The day went by both excruciatingly slowly and way too fast. He texted Sam before lunch to remind him to drop off his homework and pick up any new assignments. He also texted Blaine and asked him to come over after school. Right before Glee, he texted Sam again and asked him to record the Whitney performances during Glee so he could watch them later. The rest of the day, he had his phone off.

He finished the chord arrangements for his Whitney medley and printed the arrangement and his paper that was due on Friday. He spent some time practicing the medley using his keyboard before he packed everything up in his bag for the next day. He got dressed and psyched himself up to deal with Blaine. He heard the garage door open, and then Carole came in. Kurt went down to greet her and then went out onto the porch to wait for Blaine. His mind was racing, but he worked to calm his thoughts and get them in order, which was a struggle. This was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to prepare for. He hoped that Blaine would listen and understand, but he just couldn't predict his response after his angry outburst the day before.

Blaine pulled up in the driveway and parked. As he exited his car, he noticed Kurt sitting on the porch. He paused, not really knowing what to say. He finally mumbled, "Hey, Kurt."

"Blaine," Kurt responded. "Let's go inside. Carole is the only one home and she's busy in the basement doing laundry and ironing. Blaine stepped toward the door and followed Kurt in, pausing in the entry to see where to go. Kurt led him to the dining room. "Would you like a drink?"

"Some water would be good." Blaine took a seat at the table and waited for Kurt to come back. Kurt placed a glass of ice water on the table in front of Blaine and sat down facing him, putting his own glass on the table.

"Look, Kurt," Blaine started.

"Blaine," Kurt interrupted. "I invited you here. I'm the accused party. I'd like to speak first."

"Sure."

"We've always kept our issues private, which is the reason I did not go to school, look at my phone today or go on Facebook. And it's why I asked you to come here rather than meet where we had planned." Kurt paused and took a drink. "What you did to me, to our relationship yesterday, was beyond unexpected. I was shocked and dismayed that you would attack me publicly. Not only did you publicly humiliate me in front of the people I considered my friends, you lied. It would have been wrong for you to confront me that way even if I were guilty, but to lie about me and call my integrity into question… I was mortified."

"Kurt."

"Let me speak, please. Whether you believed what you accused me of to be true or not, you attacked me publicly when the issue should have been dealt with privately, but you left in anger Tuesday and didn't even speak to me until today and that was only by my request."

"Kurt, I was so hurt and angry," Blaine began, but was cut off again.

"I understand being hurt and angry. I'm hurt and angry right now, but I didn't go to Glee today and air our issues in public because they're no one else's business. Public shaming is not the answer. You made a choice to humiliate me and sing an angry break up song to me in public. I accept the choice you've made. We are no longer dating."

"No, Kurt. No," Blaine pleaded.

"Blaine, actions have consequences. You broke up with me in song in front of 13 witnesses. There was no ambiguity about what you were doing. You accused me of cheating, sang a break up song to me, and stormed out. There's not much to be misunderstood about that."

Kurt paused and attempted to refocus.

"I have loved you for 18 months. I endured flirty duets that meant nothing romantic to you. I watched you chase after Jeremiah and date Rachel. Six months of pining for you before you took any interest in me. Seven months of us dating and it took an alcohol-induced stupor for you to have any real physical interest in me. And in the six months since then, we've only had sex a handful of times. For someone who was so adamant that I needed to be sexually educated that you went to my DAD to convince him to give me 'The Talk', you sure have a lot less interest in having sex than I had expected. I love you and I am in love with you. And you say that you love me, but I have to wonder if you are in love with me. When I brought up the lack of compliments, it was because I don't honestly feel like you find me attractive. Back last fall when you told me that masturbation was a viable option to actually having sex with me when I was suggesting that we move our relationship forward, I should have realized that you didn't actually find me any more sexy then than you had a year ago. Please answer me truthfully. Are you attracted to me sexually?"

"Kurt, I love you."

"I know, but that's not what I asked."

"Why are you asking me this?"

"To help me understand what's been going on. Just answer me, please. I know you are a big fan of porn, so I'm pretty sure that you are actually sexually attracted to men. But are you attracted to me? Other than the drunken groping in the Scandals' parking lot, I cannot come up with a single time that you've initiated anything other than hugging or kissing. You've been very passive in our sex life. You seem to enjoy it at the time, but you never seek it out."

"Why does this matter so much? You've already decided that we aren't dating anymore. Can't you just drop this?"

"No. Just answer."

"Okay, fine. The answer is no, not really. I thought it would come in time. Just like realizing that I liked you. I did actually want to date you. I knew you were in love me with me. I thought my feelings would get stronger with time. I just thought I would eventually fall in love with you too. We have so much in common. I love spending time with you. The way I felt never changed though. But I still wanted to be with you."

"Is that what bothered you so much about the ridiculous texts? That they were flirty and flattering? It was all in fun. We one-upped each other, or tried to, by coming up with the most ridiculous pick up lines. Did you honestly think I would be attracted to someone that I had spent less than two minutes with – that I would leave you for a stranger? You know I don't watch porn. You know that I haven't looked at any other guys since I met you. YOU were my teenage dream. I waited for six months for you to show any interest in me without giving up on you. I could have just dated someone else at Dalton, where there were other out gay guys. What on earth would make you think I would give you up once you were mine?"

Kurt paused and took another drink.

"I NEEDED Tony. I NEEDED competition solos in Glee. I'm a senior. But I loved you. I congratulated you on getting the part that you said you wouldn't audition for because I needed it. I congratulated you about every part and solo you got, even though your successes pushed my dream school farther out of my reach. I loved you so much that I wanted to be with you at school, even though I knew that you would get to shine instead of me. And you thought I'd give you up for some over-the-top cheesy texts? That hurts."

"I was jealous. It was stupid. Just a knee-jerk reaction."

"Wait. You were jealous. Jealous that someone else was paying attention to me or that I was paying attention to someone else?"

"What difference does it make now?"

"Okay. You said you weren't attracted to me physically. What brought on the sudden interest in sex in the Scandals' parking lot? Just alcohol? Did dancing with Sebastian get your mind moving in that direction?"

"What difference does it make now?"

"I let you off once with that response, but not this time. Why did you want to have sex when you say that you weren't really attracted to me?"

"Ugh. You won't let this drop, will you?"

"No. Answer me."

"Artie."

"Huh?"

"Rachel and I were rehearsing for _West Side Story_ and Artie asked us if we had ever had sex because we weren't acting like we were sexually awakened or something like that. Rachel and I decided to go with his idea. We thought it would help us be better actors like Artie said. The alcohol just gave me the courage to go through with it, I guess."

Kurt just sat there stunned for a few minutes trying to process what Blaine had said.

"I would have gone off to school this fall and been faithful to you. I probably would have even gone along with your ban on having male friends just to keep you happy. I loved you enough to do that. After what you've confirmed today and what you just said I feel like I don't even know you. Were you even planning to stay together when I left for college?"

Blaine said nothing.

"Answer me, please."

"I wasn't planning to break up with you, if that's what you're asking. But I also wasn't planning on you actually leaving. I was planning to give us all next year before making a long-term decision about staying together."

"I'm lost. You weren't planning on me leaving? I'm graduating."

"I know. But honestly, I didn't think you'd get past the first NYADA finalist round. Your application was so sparse. You and Rachel had only applied to NYADA and I figured that with so few applicants admitted each year that if either of you got in that it would be Rachel since she has a full CV with really good references from Shelby and her voice teacher. I thought you'd still be here in the fall and that you'd apply to other colleges this fall when I start applying."

"Oh my God! This just keeps getting worse." Kurt began to sob.

After a few moments, he regained enough composure to speak again.

"You never been attracted to me, yet allowed me to sleep with you when you knew how much it meant to me, just so you could be a better actor. You took roles that you knew that I needed to have a decent chance at NYADA because you didn't believe that I had enough talent to get in anyway. That's why you've been so uninterested in helping me prepare for my audition next week. You don't think I'm talented enough to get in. You kept me from being friends with other guys because you wanted me to focus all of my attention on you. You iced me out of my own Glee Club. Yes, I know it was you that kept me away from the Glee guys' nights."

Kurt suddenly stood and smacked his hands on the table.

"You, Blaine Anderson, are a terrible person. I LOVED you! I trusted you with my heart and my body. You are worse than any of my bullies ever were. They hated me and treated me accordingly. You once compared me to Karofsky. At least he was actually attracted to me when he kissed me. You told me that you loved me and yet you used me and deceived me over and over again. I changed myself for you. I can't believe that I allowed myself to be so manipulated." Kurt was still sobbing.

Kurt wiped his eyes, sat back down, and began to speak in an ultra-calm manner.

"Tomorrow in Glee, you will get up and apologize to me for falsely accusing me of cheating. You will sit down and listen to my song. You will not speak to me in Glee unless it is specifically related to our Glee assignments or rehearsals. You will not speak to anyone about us. We are through. I will not leave Glee even though I no longer view most of the members as my friends. I will finish out my senior year in the club that I was a founding member of. I know that I will be in the background, but I will enjoy the end of my senior year as much as I can, which means with as little New Directions drama as possible."

Blaine nodded. "I understand. I will apologize publicly and leave you alone at school."

"I have a box of your things up in my room. Wait here. I'll be right back with it."

Blaine dropped his head to the table and waited. Kurt returned quickly.

"Please return anything of mine that you have that wasn't a gift to you. Put the items in this box and meet me at my truck 15 minutes before the first bell tomorrow morning. Feel free to do anything you want with any of the gifts that I've given to you. They were given to you in love and I don't want them back."

Blaine nodded, stood and picked the box up off the table.

"Don't call, text or email me. We are not friends. A true friend would not have done what you have. You may say that you love me, but I just don't see how that's true anymore. I will not be rude, but I will not intentionally interact with you at school. Please just leave me alone."

Blaine nodded.

"Goodbye, Blaine," Kurt said as he walked to the front door indicating that Blaine should leave.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After Blaine drove away, the weight of all of Kurt's realizations crashed down on him and he fell to his knees in tears. After a few minutes, he got up, wiped his eyes enough to see through his tears, and went up to his room. He shut the door, lay down on his bed, pulled his phone out and texted Carole. He told her that Blaine was gone, that he was in his room, and that Sam and Finn should be home at 6:00. He turned his phone back off without waiting for a response or reading anything else.

A few minutes later Carole knocked on his door and opened it slowly. "Kurt, are you okay?" She saw him curled up on his bed. He shook his head. She walked around the bed and sat down next to him. She gently rubbed his back and told him that she was there for him if or when he wanted someone to talk to.

Kurt spoke up. "It's over. We're over. There is no more to tell right now. I can't even process everything right now. I just want to rest until Sam gets here with my assignments for tomorrow. I'm really hoping there aren't any because I'm really not in the mood to do anymore schoolwork today."

"Okay, sweetie."

"And I'm not hungry. Finn and Sam shouldn't be hungry until later tonight. I sent them to Pizza Hut so that I could have the house to myself to deal with Blaine. Maybe I'll just have a snack with Sam later."

Carole nodded, got up and left, closing the door behind her.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Less than an hour later, Kurt heard a faint knock at his door. "Come in."

"Hey, I brought your assignments. There doesn't seem to be much."

"Good." Kurt sat up and took the folder from Sam. "I was hoping there would be none, but at least there's not a lot. Do you have much?"

"No, not really. Just some more Algebra 2 problems. Oh, and a Spanish worksheet. It's just a chart thing that I have to fill in."

"Okay. Are we still up for our Sci Fi movie night then?"

"Of course." Sam could see that Kurt had been crying. "Are you sure you're up for it? How did it go with Blaine this afternoon?"

"We're over. No chance of reconciliation. I learned a lot of things I didn't really want to know, but I needed to know. I need time, but I'll be okay."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam came back to Kurt's room once he had finished his homework. "Hey, are you done yet?"

"Nearly. Just a few more French questions and then I'm free."

"Great. I'm gonna make a sandwich. Want one?"

"Sure. Nothing big, though. I'm not really all that hungry."

Sam put the movie on Kurt's bed and left to go make the sandwiches. He came back a few minutes later with the sandwiches and a bag of chips. Kurt had already put all of his schoolwork away and was looking at the back of the movie case.

" _The Thing_? I've never even heard of it."

"Well, that's the point of our Thursday movie night, isn't it?" Sam asked while smiling. "One week we watch something I love that YOU'VE never heard of and the next week we watch something YOU love that I'VE never heard of."

"Is Finn home?"

"No, he left a while ago to go out with Rachel."

"Perfect. That means he's not downstairs hogging the TV. Let's go watch this down there instead of on my laptop."

"You know what, on second thought, let's watch _Galaxy Quest_. I'll go get it and meet you downstairs."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next morning, Kurt knocked on Sam's door and said, "Don't forget I'm leaving early if you want to ride with me." Sam opened the door before Kurt even finished what he was saying.

"I remembered. I've already eaten. I'm ready whenever you are."

"Okay. I'm meet you in the Navigator in 10 minutes."

Kurt pulled into a spot in the school parking lot and Sam jumped out as he said, "See ya." He was gone before Kurt could even respond. He looked around and saw Blaine pulling into the lot.

Kurt got out and went around to the back and opened the Navigator. Blaine put the box in. Kurt reminded him of his expectations. "Remember, this is between you and me and no one else. Oh, and that includes the Warblers too. If you feel the need to talk to someone about our break up, then find a therapist. No drama. I want the New Directions to do as well as possible at Nationals."

"Of course. I do too," Blaine responded. "I'll apologize at the beginning of Glee today and until then I'll tell anyone who asks me questions that I'm not answering personal questions."

"We have about 20 school days left. Several of those involve being gone for Nationals and final exams for seniors. For 20 days we can be acquaintances who co-exist. I want the group to be united, not torn apart taking sides."

"I can do that. And maybe a therapist would be a good idea."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After Kurt entered the building, he headed toward Miss Pillsbury's office. "I'm here for my appointment. May I come in?"

"Why yes, of course, Kurt. Come in. Sit down."

Kurt closed the door behind him and sat as requested.

"What can I help you with this morning, Kurt?"

"I've stopped by to make sure that you have arranged for my excused absences for the upcoming AP Exams that I'll be taking at Dalton. I know you had said that there would be no problem with the absences, but that was back in the fall. The exams are in a couple of weeks and I just want to be sure that everything is set up ahead of time. Since Nationals falls right in the middle of my AP Exams, I'm going to end up missing seven days of school in May. I don't want any issues with having too many absences. Here's a copy of my exam schedule," he said handing her a piece of paper.

"Also, since there are three exams in the two days following our return from Nationals, I've brought a letter signed by my dad requesting a single room in the hotel during the trip. Of course, I will pay for my own room. And I am already 18. The letter is just a formality to make the request official since I've already booked my room."

"I see." Looking over the letter, she replied, "Yes, this looks fine and it will go in your file with your emergency contact information and your permission slip. Good luck on your exams. I'll have the teachers notified of your absence and the reason. I am curious as to why you're taking so many AP Exams when a school like NYADA doesn't offer these classes or credit for them."

"Well, despite the fact that this school doesn't really offer any career and college planning courses, Dalton did. Last spring, I had to attend a weekly seminar for three months about preparing for my future. I applied to five other schools besides NYADA and I've already received several acceptance letters. If I choose one of the other schools, then the AP credits will help a lot."

"Well, um… Congratulations on the letters you've already gotten."

"Thanks. But remember that what I tell you is PRIVATE. No one but my family knows about the AP Exams or my applications to other schools."

"Yes, of course, Kurt. Right."

"You might remind Mr. Shue and the other teachers of my right to privacy about this issue."

"Of course. Is there anything else, Kurt?"

"No. Have a good day, Miss Pillsbury." He took the pass she held out to him and headed out toward his first period class. He placed the pass on the teacher's desk and slid into his seat. The material being covered was nothing new. He opened his book and turned his head toward the teacher, feigning attention, but remained caught up in his own thoughts.

He moved through the rest of the morning avoiding interaction as much as possible, which turned out quite easy since all of the New Directions, except Sam, were actively ignoring him. At the beginning of his last morning class before lunch, he turned his phone on briefly and texted Sam and asked him to meet him at the Navigator at the beginning of lunch.

"Hey, Sam. Hop in and I'll treat for lunch." Sam climbed in without a word. "Tacos?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"Hey, I forget to ask. Did you record the songs yesterday afternoon?"

"Yep. Today it's going to be Mercedes, Tina, me and you."

"What are you going to sing?"

"'Step by Step'. How about you?"

"A medley. I couldn't pick just one song."

They ordered, paid, and parked near the outdoor tables. They took their food and grabbed a table. Sam pulled out his phone and they watched Thursday's performances while they ate.

"Whose song did you like best so far?" Kurt asked Sam.

"Um. That's tough. I think Brittany because she really does love to dance and she'll finally get to dance with her special someone publicly this year. Like at Prom. What about you?"

"I'm not sure." He noticed the time on Sam's phone. "We have to go or we're going to be late getting back to school." They jumped back in the truck, drove off and managed to pull into the school lot just in time.

They headed back into the school. The afternoon passed torturously slow, worse than the morning it seemed. Finally, last period was starting. Kurt gave the music to Brad as he entered the room and made a few remarks about it, trying to make sure his performance would go relatively smoothly without any advanced practice with Brad. Then, he took his seat in the back row next to Sam and waited.

Blaine came in right as the bell rang and sat next to Artie. Once Mr. Schue arrived and everyone was seated, Blaine stood and moved to the center of the room, in front of the piano. He began to speak, "Please, everyone…" but had to yell to get everyone's attention. "Hey!" Finally, the class quieted. "Today, I'm up here to apologize for my behavior on Wednesday. I made a public spectacle of a private issue. I should not have done that. I stand here to correct what I said as well. Kurt did not cheat on me. He is an honest person, not a cheater. Anything else about our issues will be kept private, as they should have been to start with. Again, I apologize for inappropriately airing a private issue in public and for calling Kurt a cheater, when he is not."

The members of the club, with the exceptions of Sam and Kurt, all looked shocked. Questions were flying, but not being responded to. Blaine sat back down. Mr. Schue stood again.

"Well, okay then. Who's left to sing their Whitney song? I think we have heard from everyone except Tina, Mercedes, Sam and Kurt."

Mercedes spoke up. "Me and Tina will go."

"Great!"

Tina introduced the song. "Mercedes and I chose this song because we just love the energy this song has. It's a duet between Whitney and Aretha." The intro started and Kurt automatically knew it was "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Gonna Be". The two girls did a great job and performed it with a lot of enthusiasm.

"Woo."  
"Yeah!"  
"That was great!"

"Great job, girls," Mr. Schue said over the loud clapping.

As they sat back down, Sam stood. He figured that whatever Kurt was going to sing would be really emotional and he wanted to go before the floodgates opened. He moved to grab his guitar and placed a stool in the middle of the floor. "As most of you know, my life has had a lot of bumps in the road, with more downs than ups some of the time over the last few years. I'm going to sing 'Step by Step' because it really just spoke to me when I was listening to Whitney songs to prepare for this assignment." His acoustic version of the song was really touching and everyone clapped when he finished.

"That was really nice, Sam. That leaves you, Kurt."

Kurt stood and moved down to the center of the room and began to speak. "I love so many of Whitney's songs that I couldn't choose just one. So, I created a medley of her songs that I feel reflects my time in high school." Kurt closed his eyes, breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly to calm his nerves before he began to sing. He knew that his medley could cause some strife, but he chose to go through with it. He spoke again. "Four years ago, most of us didn't know each other. We've added and lost friends over the years. We've fallen in and out of love. We've changed and learned so much. Some of us will be here next year. The rest of us are moving on, mostly alone, to face our futures. This is a reminder to all of us, especially to myself, that we can face the future by believing in ourselves."

 _Everybody's searching for a hero_  
 _People need someone to look up to_  
 _I never found someone to fulfill my needs_  
 _A lonely place to be_  
 _And so I learned to depend on me_

 _I decided long ago_  
 _Never to walk in anyone's shadow_  
 _If I fail, if I succeed_  
 _At least I'll live as I believe_  
 _No matter what they take from me_  
 _They can't take away my dignity_

 _Share my life_  
 _Take me for what I am_  
 _'Cause I'll never change all my colors for you_

 _I am wiser now_  
 _I'm not the foolish boy you used to know_  
 _Not so long ago_  
 _I'm stronger now_

 _I've learned from my mistakes which way to go_  
 _And I should know_  
 _I put myself aside to do it your way_  
 _But now I need to do it all alone_

 _I'm not afraid to try it on my own_  
 _I don't care if I'm right or wrong_  
 _I'll live my life the way I feel_  
 _No matter what I'll keep it real you know_  
 _Time for me to do it on my own_

 _Because the greatest love of all_  
 _Is happening to me_  
 _I found the greatest love of all_  
 _Inside of me_

 _The greatest love of all_  
 _Is not easy to achieve_  
 _Learning to love yourself_  
 _Is the greatest love of all_  
 _It's over now_

 _I can't go back to living through your eyes_  
 _Too many lies_  
 _And if you don't know by now_  
 _I can't go back to being someone else_

 _I found hope in my heart_  
 _I found the light to life_  
 _My way out of the dark_  
 _Found all that I need_  
 _Here inside of me_

Kurt finished and returned to his seat. There was some faint applause, but most everyone was caught up in the emotions of the song. Many of them realized that the song also meant that Blaine and Kurt had actually split up.

Kurt leaned into Sam and said, "Come on." quietly. As Kurt stood, he announced that he and Sam needed to leave. Sam stood and followed Kurt out. "Do you need anything from your locker?" Sam shook his head and walked with Kurt out to the Navigator.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Once they were in the truck, Sam finally spoke. "Why did we need to leave?"

"Oh, I meant to tell you last night, but I guess I forgot. Carole and I are making Dad's favorite meal for dinner and you and I are going shopping for the ingredients. You can add your favorite side dish to the menu for helping me shop."

"Alrighty then. To the grocery store we go," Sam said enthusiastically. "Is this a special occasion that I don't know about?"

"Nope, not really. It's just that a couple of days ago my dad brought up how few Friday dinners we have left together as a family. So, I decided to make his favorites tonight as a surprise." Sam nodded. After a few minutes, they arrived at the grocery store. As he parked, Kurt asked, "Are you going back to Kentucky tonight after dinner?" Sam shook his head and got out. He headed toward the cart corral, grabbed a cart, and pushed it toward Kurt.

"Actually, I wanted to stay here this weekend. Do you have any plans for tomorrow? I was going to work on that big English paper, but if you're free, maybe we could do something tomorrow. I could get crackin' on that paper while you're being Julia Child with Carole. I'll skip the games or movie after dinner to get as much done as I can. Maybe you can look it over before you go to bed?" Sam asked hopefully.

"You know what? That sounds like a great idea. I'm going to give myself a personal mental health day tomorrow. Will you join me on my quest for inner peace and tranquility?" Kurt asked in his best sci fi voice.

"I accept your offer," Sam responded in his best Start Trek voice over impression. "Where will this journey take us?" he continued.

"Ah, 'twill be an adventure."

"You mean you have no idea," Sam said as he grabbed more of the items on Kurt's list.

"Exactly. I'll dress down. No high society events. Just the two of us and whatever we decide. How's 9:00 for our departure into the unknown?"

"Excellent. 9:00 it shall be. Adventure awaits."

Kurt double-checked his list. "Did you grab whatever you wanted to add? I don't see anything extra in the cart."

"Oh, yeah. Our adventuring plans made me forget. I'll be right back. Get in line." Sam returned quickly and tossed a bag into the cart.

"Collard greens?"

"Yep. My grandma used to make them."

"Okay, but I think you and I will be the only ones to eat them. Can you find a good recipe before we get home? I have no idea how to make them."

"Okay. I'll get my mom to tell me." Sam moved outside to call his mom while Kurt waited in line. By the time Kurt got out to the Navigator, Sam had the recipe and was waiting to help Kurt with the groceries. "Got it!" Sam said as he jumped in the truck after returning the cart to the corral.

"Excellent."

They went home and carried the bags into the kitchen. Sam ran upstairs to get started on his English paper. Kurt emptied the bags and called out for Carole.

"Well, it looks like your ready to cook! Let's get this started." They sorted, washed, chopped and prepped everything like a well-oiled machine. They worked well together and enjoyed each other's company. Finally, after everything was cooking, Kurt sat down.

"Carole?" She turned. He motioned for her to come sit with him. "Thanks for calling me out of school yesterday. I got everything done. No missing or late assignments. I really needed yesterday to set everything right."

She nodded.

He continued, "I told Blaine that I accepted his break up when he came over yesterday after school. Most of the visit was me talking. I found out a lot of things that really hurt. I'm not ready to talk about it yet. But it's over. I'm going to tell Dad after dinner. Can you please ask Finn to not discuss Blaine or what happened in Glee this week during dinner?"

Carole nodded.

"Oh, and Sam's staying this weekend. He'll be eating dinner with us, but skipping the after-dinner games or movie to work on his English paper. He and I will be out all day tomorrow. I've had my phone off most of the time for the last few days and I'm leaving it off this weekend. If you, or Dad, need me tomorrow, call Sam's phone. I really don't want to talk to anyone yet. I have like 100 unread texts, 30 missed calls, and even some unread emails since Wednesday. Not ready to deal with them, not yet, maybe never. It's none of their business anyway."

"You're right, honey. I'm going to go up and talk to Finn. I'll be back to help you finish up and I'll have Finn come set the table. Burt will be here in a half hour."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Dinner was a hit and Burt enjoyed his favorite dishes. The topic of Blaine was avoided, which Kurt appreciated.

When everyone had finished, Kurt said, "Dessert will be ready in about 30 minutes." He turned to Burt, "Can we talk out back until it's done, Dad?" Burt nodded, got up and went out the back door to sit on the deck.

Finn and Carole cleared the table, put away the leftovers and did the dishes while Burt and Kurt talked outside.

Kurt sat next to his dad. "This next month is going to be crazy hectic for me. I have my NYADA audition, five AP Exams to study for, Nationals in Chicago, and final papers and exams for school."

Burt responded with a nod.

Kurt kept talking. "You remember me saying that Blaine and I were on the rocks the other day?"

Burt nodded again.

"Well, he came over after school yesterday and I had a long talk with him. I learned a lot of things, mostly upsetting. We aren't dating anymore."

"Okay."

"I know this topic isn't your favorite. Do you want details or not?"

"Um. You know I'm not good with this type of thing and I know you already talked to Carole, but I'd like to have at least a little understanding of what happened."

"Okay. Let me think for a minute how to summarize." Kurt closed his eyes in an attempt to be calm and focused. "Well, here goes. I went to the music shop after school last Friday. I met a guy, Chandler, who I talked to for less than two minutes, who is also auditioning for a music program in New York. He asked for my phone number. I put it in his phone. He left. Sunday, he started sending me texts about things we could do in New York and also cheesy pick up lines, like REALLY cheesy. And I replied with even cheesier pick up lines. It was a silly game. He kept texting me during the week, even at school sometimes. Sam thought the texts were really funny. Tuesday, Blaine came over after school to watch a movie. When I was out of the room, my phone buzzed a few times with texts from Chandler. Blaine saw them, then opened my text log and read through all of the texts between us. He confronted me when I came back in the room with 'Who is Chandler?' He got really upset and accused me of cheating on him. He stormed out of the house, refusing to listen to me. Wednesday, in Glee, he sang 'It's not Right, but It's Okay' which is a Whitney Houston break up song and he dedicated it to 'everyone who's been cheated on'.

Burt looked shocked and asked, "In front of everyone?"

Kurt nodded, then continued. "I didn't call or talk to him until after school yesterday. After a long conversation that I won't recount, I realized that never really knew the person that I've been in love with for nearly a year and a half. I told him that I accepted his break up song and that we are over. I requested that he apologize to the club for what he had done and that he publicly admit that I had NOT cheated on him, which he did today in Glee.

"Well, that's good at least."

"Yeah."

"Is that why you didn't go to school yesterday?"

"Partly yes. I just couldn't face everyone until I had time to speak to him privately. And I spent so much time Wednesday evening upset that I needed time during the day Thursday to finish up that big paper I've been working on for weeks that was due today. Sam brought my assignments from yesterday home and I turned them in today as well. So, I didn't fall behind."

"Good deal, then about school. I'm okay with that. I'm not okay with how Blaine treated you. I don't know what he said during your talk that upset you so much, but I trust you and if you don't want him around, then he won't be."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Carole and I are leaving for DC tomorrow morning. She'll be back Monday evening. I'll be back late Thursday."

"Okay. Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. Sam's staying for the weekend, so I won't be alone, even if Finn goes out."

Carole opened the door. "Dessert's done."

Kurt and Burt got up to go in. "Thanks for making all my favorites tonight."

"No problem. After our talk Wednesday, I decided that I wanted tonight's dinner to be special."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Everyone opted for a movie and took their pie to the family room to watch it together. After the movie, Kurt took his plate to the kitchen, grabbed a small slice of pie for Sam and went up to his room to check on him. He knocked on Sam's door, and then opened it slowly. "Hey, I brought you some pie."

"Oh, thanks," he said as he took the plate and fork from Kurt. "Here, sit. You can read what I wrote while I eat. The assignment said 3-5 pages and I've got almost three."

"That's good." Kurt read through the paper quickly. "Okay, this is a good first draft. Your writing has gotten a lot better this year."

Sam put the plate down and sat next to Kurt as they went through the essay. Kurt helped him with spelling and punctuation, explaining his corrections. With some edits and a few additional sentences, the essay spilled over onto a fourth page.

"Well, that's that then. Last English paper for me for the year. I'm going to print it and put it in my bag for safekeeping. Thanks, Kurt."

"No problem. I'm going to shower and head to bed." Switching to his sci fi narrator voice, "Until tomorrow at 9:00, Samuel Evans."

"Until tomorrow at 9:00, Kurt Hummel."


	2. Chapter 2

Kurt got up at his regular school time Saturday morning. He picked out a pair of slim fit, but not skinny jeans, a black tee and his black Chucks. He spiked his hair similar to the way he had for "Born this Way". He made his way down to the kitchen quietly and set out to prep a nice, spoil-proof lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples, carrots, celery and some bottles of water. He packed some paper plates, some napkins and their lunch in a small cooler. That way they'd at least have something to eat no matter where they ended up. He quietly slipped out the front door and put the cooler and his satchel in his back seat.

He went back to the kitchen and started cooking a hearty, adventure-worthy breakfast: turkey bacon, veggie omelettes, fruit salad, and fresh coffee, of course. By the time he was done, it was almost 9:00 and he heard Sam coming down the stairs.

"Wow, something smells good." As he rounded the corner and saw his plated breakfast he said, "Ooh, and it looks even better." He sat down and started to eat. "Thanks. This is great. Do you have you any ideas about where to go today?"

"I have a couple. What about you?"

"I thought of a few things too."

They finished up eating and discussed their options. Theme parks, nature areas, the zoo, and a few museums were mentioned.

"It's so hard to decide. Let's look a few of them up online." Sam pulled out his phone and handed to Kurt. "Hey, what about this? It's a combo ticket for three places, Cedar Point, Kings Island and we'd get to pick a museum in Columbus too. We could go to one today and save the other two for the summer after school gets out."

"That sounds perfect."

Kurt handed Sam his phone back. "Let's go order the tickets using the computer downstairs so we can print them out easily." They went downstairs and Kurt quickly paid for their tickets and Sam waited by the printer and grabbed the printouts. "I checked the weather earlier. It's supposed to be nice today. No rain. So, let's go to one of the theme parks today and save the museum trip in case it rains one of the weekends we plan to go out this summer."

"Excellent idea. But which theme park today?" Sam asked.

"I say Kings Island. It stays cooler on the waterfront in the summer. We'll go to Cedar Point this summer."

"As you wish, my good sir. Anything you want to change about how you're dressed before we head out? I'm going to go put on a lighter colored shirt and some shorts."

"Nah, I'm good. I'll be in the Navigator pulling up the driving directions on my phone." Sam was already wearing shorts and a yellow t-shirt, but he decided to grab a hoodie on his way out the door.

Kurt was surprisingly quick with his change of clothes and he grabbed a hoodie as well, locked the door to the house and jumped in the Navigator. "Ready to head out?"

"Ready."

"When I bought our tickets, I also paid for two meals and an unlimited drink pass. I figured it would save money in the long run."

"Good idea."

They made their way to the highway heading south toward Mason. After they hit the highway, their conversation picked up again.

Sam was looking at the map on his phone still.

"Hey, Sam. Do you remember when I asked you to get Miss Pillsbury to print out a copy of your transcript for you and you gave it to me?"

"Yeah. You never really said what you wanted it for."

"Well, I have a lot of stuff to tell you and now's the perfect time. I looked through all your classes to see what exactly you were missing since Miss P told you in March that you wouldn't have enough credits to graduate with us."

"Okay."

"When I got it all sorted, I found that she was right about you not being able to graduate, but for the wrong reason. You actually have enough credits, but you were in Kentucky when the OGTs took place this fall. And without taking and passing the OGTs, you can't graduate. Your GPA is pretty low, but that's because your grades from before you came to McKinley weren't great and then your grades last semester were somewhat lower than last year because you came back so late in the semester that you had missed too much of what was covered early in the semester to catch up and do well, especially since you had been cutting school to get more hours at your job. But you did a fantastic job considering everything. Cs are nothing to be ashamed of considering you only had not even two months to learn a whole semester's worth of information."

"So, what does all of that mean? Can I take the OGTs now and still graduate this year?"

"Unfortunately not. They're only offered for seniors in the fall. Plus, you failed them your junior year, which means that there's a lot of material for you to learn without enough time to learn everything you need to and take them with the juniors this semester." Sam sighed. Kurt continued, "But…"

"But?"

"This is where everything will begin to sound a bit nuts, but listen anyway, okay?"

"Of course."

"After I figured all of this out, I started doing research about states that don't have exit exams, like the OGTs, for high school students. Kentucky is one. So, you could head back to Kentucky and go back to school there this fall and possibly graduate midterm."

"A less than appealing option, but an option."

"You could stay with my parents next year and continue at McKinley and get a tutor specifically for the OGTs and retake them this fall and graduate next year, if you pass."

"Okay. Sounds like you've got another idea, though."

"Oh yeah, definitely," Kurt said excitedly. You know that I applied to several colleges and universities besides NYADA." Sam nodded. "Well, I started getting letters a couple of weeks ago. I've been accepted into the music program at the University of Hartford."

"That's great!"

"Yeah, it really is because the best part is that I've been offered a full tuition scholarship."

"That's amazing! Wow, just wow. Congratulations!"

"But there's something better."

"Better than a scholarship?"

"The even better part is that you could come with me. Connecticut is one of the states that doesn't require exit exams. You already have enough credits to complete high school in Connecticut. But since you haven't officially graduated, you could enroll as a senior in this amazing high school that's affiliated with a local Hartford college. You can take amazing art classes and get a head start on college classes and graduate."

Sam didn't say anything.

"Sam?"

"You want me to move to Connecticut with you?"

"Yes. Most definitely, yes. Will you? Do you want to?"

More silence from Sam.

"Do you not want to?" Kurt asked sounding a bit scared about Sam's silence.

"You are the most awesome friend ever. I just… I don't even know what to say."

"If you pull my satchel up here, I printed out information about the high school. Why don't you look at it and see what you think?"

Sam reached back and grabbed Kurt's bag and pulled out the folder with the information in it. He read through everything the best he could. "This sounds amazing. You really want me to go with you?"

"Yes, I really do. I already found an apartment for us, if you'll go with me. The info about the apartment is in the other pocket of that folder. I had wanted you to come with me, even if you didn't want to go to college. I was so sad when Miss Pillsbury told you that you couldn't graduate with us because I knew you wouldn't want to go back to Kentucky and I knew you had come back to Lima for your senior year, to graduate with us, not to end up staying for a second senior year. So I started looking for high schools near the places I was applying to. I hadn't said anything yet because I wasn't certain that I could make it work."

"Why did you choose that university to apply to initially? What made you interested in Connecticut? I thought you really wanted to go to New York. That's what I hear Rachel talking about all the time, how the two of you are going to be roomies in New York."

"Well, that was all Rachel's idea. NYADA is what she set her heart on. She wanted me to apply too. So, I did. But she refused my counsel about applying to other schools. She said that applying to other colleges would be an indication that she didn't believe in herself enough to achieve her dream."

"That sounds like Rachel."

"I hope it doesn't bite her in the butt. I wasn't willing to put all my eggs in one basket and watch everything crumble when I was stuck in Lima because I didn't get in to the only place I applied. I also really didn't have any interest in living with her, but you know how she is about hounding people. I just decided to go along with it until I had made my actual decision."

"Makes sense. Before I found out that I wasn't going to be able to graduate, I had planned to take a year off after this one to figure out what to do. There's been so much upheaval. I just didn't want to commit to something I wasn't certain about. Then when Miss P said I wouldn't graduate with you guys, I just quit thinking about it. I didn't really see much of a future beyond working fast food at that point."

"You'll figure it out. You asked why I choose Hartford. When I was researching colleges, I also looked up each city on the Municipal Equality List. The list gives cities a score from 0-100. 100 being the best score. It didn't matter how great a college sounded, I did not want to end up back in a place as homophobic as Lima. Hartford scored 96 out of 100 on the equality list. Only a few places had a higher score, like New York, San Francisco and a few others."

"Wow, you've done a lot of research."

"Well, that super-expensive, all-boys school had some benefits besides the 'No Bullying' policy. All Dalton juniors are required to take a 'College and Career Planning' course that meets weekly all spring semester. It was a class we had homework for and had to participate in, even though we didn't get credit for it. I learned a lot in that class. And I put it to use finding some places that seemed like a good fit for me. And maybe you?"

"McKinley should have a class like that."

"McKinley should have a lot of things it doesn't."

"Too true."

"Look in the other folder pocket, there's a print out about the apartment I found."

Sam opened the folder back up and pulled out the info sheet to look at it.

"So, what do you think of the apartment? I know it's only a one bedroom, but if I moved into a dorm, I'd have a roommate anyway. It's not like I expected my own room in college. The bedroom has two big closets and there's more closets in the main living area too. You can get a job. I can get a job. Everything but the electric and internet is covered in the rent. I think we can do it. I know it seems like a lot, but my dad is still going to help out too because he's not having to pay any tuition. Plus, we get along and we've already been living together for the last six months. So, what do you think? Will you come to Connecticut with me?"

"YES! Oh, my God. Yes, I'll go to Connecticut with you! So, tell me everything about Hartford and your plan."

"Well, first of all, no one but Carole, Dad and you know that I've accepted the offer. I'm still going to audition for NYADA, just for the experience. And mostly because I don't want to tip my hat to everyone about my plans."

"Ok, got it. Secret, stealth Connecticut plans. Tell me more," Sam said in his best 007 impression.

During the rest of their drive to Kings Island, Kurt told Sam everything he had learned about Hartford. He explained that the apartment was close to the high school. He talked and talked, and Sam listened, getting excited about his future for the first time in a long time. After a bit, Sam started asking questions.

"What kind of job are you thinking of getting?"

"Oh, Dad has already helped me with that. He's spoken with the owner of a garage not far from the apartment. I'll start as soon as we move, which I'm hoping will be in July, if you're okay with that. I'd like to stay through the 4th and then leave afterwards. I can make so much more money working as a mechanic than anything else. I know it's not on my future list of jobs I want to have, but I've been a certified mechanic since I was 16. There's no point in letting years of training go to waste when the pay is good."

"I knew you worked at your dad's shop, but I guess I never realized that you are a certified mechanic. That's really cool."

"Yeah, cars are really the only thing that my dad and I have in common. Are your parents going to be okay with you coming with me?"

"I'm going to be 18 in like a week. There's really nothing they could do about it, even if they hate the idea. But since the idea will lead to me actually graduating and starting college, I'm sure they'll be all for it. I love my family, but I spent a lot of time apart from them my first two years of high school when I went to boarding school. The only time I've really lived with them during high school was last year when they were still in Lima. I don't think they've really been expecting me to move back to Kentucky. I never liked it there."

"I'm going to miss my dad a lot, but Lima is just not where I'm going to stay. He's known that since I was in middle school. Lima is just not where I belong."

"Yeah. You're way too fabulous for Lima. Isn't that what Mercedes always used to say?" Sam laughed. "Oh, one more exit and we're there."

Kurt moved to exit and followed the signs to Kings Island. They parked, double-checked that they had the right printouts and walked to the entrance.

"Alright, then. Shall we buy a map and make a plan or wing it?" Sam asked after they made it inside.

"It's an epic adventure. We wing it."

"Okay, good sir. Your choice will start our adventure. Right or left?"

"Left."

And they headed off toward a large selection of roller coasters. After many drops, flips, spins, loops, and turns, they decided that it was time to take a break and find a place to eat and check out a show while their food settled.

"Well, that was fun. Where next?" Kurt asked.

"Rides, definitely more rides."

"As you wish…" Kurt said using his best Westly voice.

By early evening, they were getting pretty tired and decided they should head back to Lima before they got too tired to stay awake on the drive. "I saw a McDonald's off the highway on our way in. Let's grab a cheap coffee and eat the food you packed. I'm hungry again."

"Ooh, coffee. Good idea, Sam."

"I'll drive back. I've gotten more sleep lately and you drove on the way here."

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Once they were back on the highway, Sam started talking again. "I need to start a to do list so that I'm ready to go in 2 months. We won't actually have a lot of free time until June. So, I need a specific plan to keep me on track between now and then. So, first on the list?"

"Closets and our rooms?" Kurt suggested.

"Okay. How about we do that tomorrow since we've both finished our homework for the weekend and Finn, Carole and Burt won't be home tomorrow. That way we can avoid any questions from Finn about what we're doing."

"Good idea. I know that your room won't take anywhere nearly as long as mine. So, we'll start with your room. We'll do yours before lunch and mine after. We can order in Chinese so we don't have to stop to prep anything."

"We'll need furniture when we move since that apartment isn't furnished."

"I think we should only take whatever we can fit in the Navigator and one of those pull-behind U-Hauls. Anything that we have to haul in a rental truck will just cost a ton in gas to transport, plus the rental fee. There's a tow hitch on here," Kurt said.

"That's true. We can put all of our clothes and furnishings in here with the back seats down and put any bigger stuff in the U-Haul."

"It's a 10 ½ hour drive from Lima to Hartford. But I think we can make it in a day if we switch off driving."

"I agree. What else can we get done this weekend?" Sam asked.

"Have you looked through your homework calendar for next week yet? Since Nationals are soon, we're going to miss a few days of school and you'll need to have that work done ahead of time and turned in before we go. Unless you're willing to give up any New Directions partying and shenanigans during Nationals to do whatever needs to be turned the day we get back and work on it in Chicago, you'll need to do that ahead of time too. I'm going to be reviewing whenever I don't have to be present for something Glee related. I'll be in my room instead of sightseeing or whatever."

"Wait. You're not staying in a room with the rest of us?"

"No. That would just be too hard. Bunking in a room with Blaine? Plus, I have three AP Exams on the Monday and Tuesday following our trip to Chicago. I HAVE to sleep and at least review whenever we are not required to be present for something related to the competition."

"So, how many AP exams are you taking?"

"Five in total. Two are before we leave on Monday and Tuesday that week. The other three are the following Monday and Tuesday, right after we get back. But if I do well on the exams, I'll get college credit for the classes and it will free up my schedule making it easier to work and go to school for the next four years."

"You're amazing. You know that, right? And you're the awesomest best friend ever. I still can't believe that we're going to Connecticut together."

"Well, I know I am determined. And I can't possibly be the awesomest best friend ever because that's you." Kurt laughed.

"So, lists are going to be our favorite items for the next few weeks. What else can you think of for my list?"

"Well, you'll need an official transcript from McKinley. And that's about it I can think of that's school related. Once we get to Connecticut, there will be a lot of things to do. We'll have to get you enrolled, get your uniforms, sign you up for health insurance, get new car insurance, and new driver's licenses."

"Put those on our to-do-after-we-move list. I also have to tell my parents. Do you want to come with me to Kentucky next weekend? No, you've got too much to do to be gone that long. How about we plan for me to Skype you while I'm there and I'll take the high school and apartment printouts with me and you can answer any of my parents questions via Skype?"

"That will work. You're right that I can't be gone all weekend with as much stuff as I have to do. Don't forget that the senior's finals are the week before everyone else's. I wonder if Miss Pillsbury can excuse you from class the week everyone else takes their finals since you'll have already taken yours and there'll be nothing for you to do all day at school. I'll add that to your McKinley list. We'll go to Cedar Point one day that week before the rest of the high school students get out and it gets really crowded during the weekdays."

"What about Prom? Are you going to go?"

"Well, I had figured I'd be going with Blaine. I already bought two tickets. Did you ask anyone or buy tickets yet?

"No."

"Want to go with me, as friends? It IS our last prom at McKinley."

"I hadn't actually planned on going, but I'll think about it."

They talked more about moving and anything and everything. About 10:00, they pulled up in the driveway, grabbed their stuff and went inside. Finn was in the living room with Puck. Kurt went directly up the stairs and into his bathroom.

"Good evening," Sam offered without waiting for a response, and he dropped the cooler off in the garage and headed up the stairs to drop into his bed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sunday morning Kurt got up and he didn't even bother to get dressed or fix his hair. He knew he'd be spending a lot of time trying on clothes and figured there was little point in getting dressed. He peeked into Finn's room just to be certain that he had left last night and had gone to Puck's like he had planned. He found his room empty. "Excellent," he said to himself.

He went down to the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge and assembled a breakfast made out of leftovers and stuck the plates in the oven on warm. He went out to the garage to get box tape and a wide-tipped Sharpie. Then, he went down to the basement to bring up some flattened boxes that had been in storage since their move to the new house over a year ago.

He thought about how much had changed in a year and a half. There had been so much turmoil with Blaine. And now it had all gone up in flames. And then there was Sam, who Finn really tried to keep away from Kurt in the beginning. But when Kurt went off to Dalton, Finn couldn't prevent them from talking on the phone, texting and meeting up halfway to go bowling and other things. They'd become friends. Then Sam's dad lost his job and Kurt spent more time with Sam's siblings than he did with Sam because Sam was working so many evenings. They still texted and emailed after Sam left, but it wasn't the same. Kurt was really glad Sam had come back. In the six months he'd been staying with the Hummels, Sam had become the best friend he'd ever had. He was so glad that Sam had agreed to his plan. Now to get things ready to go.

By the time Kurt got back upstairs, Sam was in the kitchen checking on the food in the oven. "It should be done in a few minutes according to the timer," Sam said. "What on earth is in there anyway?"

"Leftover breakfast smorgasbord. It's actually just two small plates with leftovers on them. I don't like to see food wasted and Finn won't be home today, so I figured we should eat whatever was left to save it from being tossed when Carole comes back."

"Good plan."

"So, I've got the boxes, the tape and a marker. Let the sorting and packing begin."

They ate quickly and moved to Sam's room. Kurt opened his closet. "There are already boxes in your closet."

"Um, oh yeah. I had forgotten about those. That's stuff I brought with me that was still boxed up that we had left in TN at my grandparent's before we moved to Ohio. When we were Kentucky, my grandparents downsized their house and we had to go pick up the boxes we had left there. We should just open those up and see what's in there."

Sam opened the first box. "Oh, my. Maybe I should do this alone."

"Why? What's in there?"

"Oh, nothing," he said as he tried to shut the box quickly.

"Let me see." Kurt shoulder bumped Sam out of the way, looked into the box and burst out laughing. "How cute! You had superhero underwear. And superhero pajamas. And superhero t-shirts. And even a superhero hoodie."

"I think I just need to tape this box back shut and take it with me next weekend. I'm sure my mom had kept this stuff to hand down to Stevie. This stuff should fit him pretty soon. He likes superhero stuff as much as I do. This will save my parents from having to buy him any new clothes this size."

"Good idea. Next box."

"More of the same, clothes I outgrew. Jeans, a coat, even some shoes that have hardly been worn."

"Well then, on to the clothes up on your shelf. I don't remember seeing you wear quite a bit of that stuff. Fashion show time. Bring the stacks to my room where you can see yourself in my full-length mirror." Sam grabbed all the shirts and followed Kurt to his room. "Just lay them there and get started. I'll sit over here and play fashion judge."

"That won't work. You'll veto everything."

"Nah, I'll only veto what doesn't fit or needs replaced."

"If you say so."

"Turn around, let me see the back. That's nice. Before we go any further, keep in mind that your new school has a required uniform. So, you won't need school clothes. You should just keep what you actually like."

Sam tried every shirt in the stack on and kept about half. Kurt put the other half in a box of items to donate. They went through all of the rest of Sam's clothes that were hanging in his closet fairly quickly and got into a rhythm of the process. Sam tried something on, took it off, handed it to Kurt, who folded it and put it in a donation box, a take-to-Connecticut box or on a hanger to go back into Sam's closet. All of his winter clothes were boxed up, marked and stacked in his closet where the hand-me-down-filled boxes were before.

After they were done with Sam's clothes, they went through everything else in his room. They boxed up anything he no longer needed, which wasn't a lot since his family had lost so much the previous year. But they cleaned and organized as they went and Sam's room looked great when they were done.

"Chinese?"

"Definitely. Chicken and broccoli, no rice. Two spring rolls for me, please."

"Got it. I'll order it while you take these boxes and put them in the back of the Navigator."

Sam vacuumed his room and Kurt started moving his clothes out of his closet and sorting them into piles while they waited for their food to arrive. About 30 minutes later, the doorbell rang, and Sam ran to get it.

"The money is by the door." Kurt yelled out.

Sam answered the door, took their food, thanked the delivery guy and told him to keep the change.

"Come and get it!"

Kurt and Sam enjoyed their food, but ate quickly to get back to the task at hand. They wanted to be done before Finn came home that evening. They threw out the trash and went back up to Kurt's room.

"Oh, man."

"What?" Kurt looked up with concern on his face.

"You have more clothes than a Target," Sam said laughing.

"Well, be that as it may, I do not need all of these clothes anymore and you're going to help me figure out what to keep and what not to keep."

"As you wish…" Sam said in his best Westley impression.

"Well, let's start with the obvious. Clothes from my sophomore foray into dressing butch. Feel free to look through that stack and take anything you might want for yourself. The vests are actually quite nice and they were a little big on me so they'd probably fit you."

"You're right," Sam said looking at his reflection. "I like the green one a lot. The blue one, not so much and I don't really see then need for two. I'll try the henley's and button-ups on." He kept a few and moved the others to the donation box."

"You know," Kurt said. "I bet Puck would wear those. I'll try to give them to him. They're a little plain for your tastes, but he wears neutral colors a lot."

"Okay, nothing else I have would be anything that anyone else I know would want to wear, but some of the stuff is designer and I might be able to sell it to the resale shop in Columbus. So, mark one box for donation, another for resale. I used to do a lot of reselling on eBay, but I just don't have the time for that right now."

"Got it." Sam marked the boxes.

"Also, one stack for try on and one stack for definitely keep. Ready?"

"As I'm ever going to be."

Kurt started going through the piles of clothes and telling Sam where to put each item. Once they had made it through the stacks that were on the bed, Kurt started trying on all the items in the try-on stack. Sam assembled a couple more boxes while Kurt was trying items on. Every so often, Kurt would ask Sam a question, but mostly he worked quickly and quietly. They finally made it through everything on the bed after a couple of hours. They sealed and marked the boxes with the winter clothes that Kurt was keeping and stacked them next to the closet.

"Now, the rest of the stuff in the closet."

"The rest? There's more?"

"Of course there's more. You didn't see any summer clothes in those stacks did you?" Kurt asked and winked at Sam, who just laughed and groaned.

"I'll start moving the rest of the clothes from the closet out here and you can help me with the sorting again."

They repeated their process from earlier and got quite efficient. An hour later, several boxes were ready to go to the resale shop and there were a couple of smaller donation boxes ready to be moved out to the Navigator. Sam took the initiative to start carrying them down to the truck. When he came back up, he helped by handing Kurt the items on the bed that needed to go back into the closet. Once all the clothes were in, they reversed the process and Kurt began pulling out all of his shoes and handing them to Sam. Kurt came out of his closet to find himself surrounded in shoes.

"More shoes than Target, too."

"Ha. Ha. But you are right I have too many. Several of your pairs are not going to last much longer. What size shoes do you wear?"

"11."

"Excellent. Me too. Maybe you'll like a few pairs I rarely wear and we'll save money and time by letting you shop right here in my room."

Kurt had several pairs of Chucks from his sophomore year in Glee that he never wore, which Sam snatched up quickly. Sam didn't own any real dress shoes, so he tried on a few pairs that Kurt wasn't going to keep and took the pair that fit the best. Kurt also had more than one pair of hiking boots and didn't even realize it.

"I bet dad bought me these for some reason. They've never even been worn." Kurt handed them to Sam. "Yours are getting kind of ratty, why don't you give these a try?"

"Sure." Sam pulled them on and laced them up. "Ooh, these are nice. Definitely keep." Same collected up all the pairs he was keeping and moved them to his room. He grabbed his beat up shoes out of the closet, took them down to the garage and put them in the trash. Kurt continued in his task of weeding out shoes. Sam moved the rejects to the resale box carefully, lining each layer with paper towels to keep the shoes from getting scuffed. Kurt moved the shoes he was keeping back into his closet once he had finished.

"Coats are next on the list now that the shoes are done." Kurt started handing Sam coats. "Lay them out side by side rather than stacking them this time. I don't want to keep ones that are too similar"

"Got it." Sam laid the coats out the way Kurt requested.

Kurt started looking at the coats. "I have a good idea," Kurt said. "When we take our trip to whichever museum we choose in Columbus, we'll go to the Columbia outlet and buy ourselves really good winter coats with the money I get from the resale shop. I bet it's really cold in Connecticut in the winter and we'll be outside walking a lot more than we have been here."

"That's a really good idea. I mostly wear my letterman jacket here, but it's not really all that warm for staying outside in the snow. And I know you have a lot of coats, but I bet a lot of them are more for looks than warmth."

"Speaking of coats for looks, try this one on. I ordered it online when I first started shopping online and found out the hard way why I shouldn't buy from that site when I realized that they didn't accept returns. I just hung it in the closet and never ended up taking it to the resale shop. It's a really nice pea coat and you don't have a dress coat." Sam took the coat, slipped it on and moved to look at himself in the mirror. "That looks really good on you. Turn around. Perfect fit all the way around. What do you think?"

"I think it's a really nice coat. Do you think I need something this fancy though?"

"Maybe not immediately, but I'll never get as much out of it as it would cost to get a nice coat later. Just keep it. Much better money-wise."

Sam put the coat back on the wooden hanger it was on and took it to his room and hung it in his closet.

"Can you go grab an extra large trash bag from the garage? Ooh, and a large rubber band from the misc. box? I don't want to fold any of the coats. Kurt continued to sort while Sam searched the garage to find what Kurt needed.

"One large trash bag and one large rubber band for you sir," Sam said imitating an English butler to the best of his ability.

"Thank you, Evans," Kurt replied in his best English accent.

Kurt had Sam hold the coats while he fastened the hangers together at the top and pulled the trash bag over the top. "Done. Can you take the shoe boxes and the coats down to the Navigator too, please?"

"Of course."

Sam did as Kurt asked.

"Anymore clothes?" he asked as he came back from his last trip.

"Nope, that was it."

"Can I ask you something?"

"You know you can ask anything."

"Why did you have so many clothes? I'd never seen you wear a lot of those and I've known you for two years."

"Remember what I sang in Glee on Friday? I really struggled to like myself, let alone love myself. Everyone around me either picked on me or ignored me. I know I've told you before, but you really were the first guy I met who was openly nice to me from the moment we met. Looking back, in some ways, the outlandish clothes were a type of mask. I gave people a reason to pick on me. It was easier to feel like they hated me for the way I dressed than to accept that they hated me for who I was. I could say that I didn't care that they hated my clothes, but it's really hard to not care when people hate you for something you can't change."

Sam moved toward Kurt and pulled him into a hug. "Those people were stupid." Sam released him and took a few steps back and listened.

"Be that as it may, the butch-era clothes that you added to your wardrobe came along when I decided to try to be more manly, to fit in, especially for my dad. That's when I was on the football team. I wanted him to be proud of me. I wanted to be a part of something that he would be able to brag to his friends about. I tried to be straight. That phase didn't last long. I came to accept myself a little more after that and went back to dressing outlandishly again. I used to wear lots of layers, junior year especially. The layers went a long way to cut down on the pain from being slammed into the lockers. Sometimes, the clothes are like visual art. I just like to play around with textures, patterns and colors. Sometimes, it's dressing like an actor or singer I like, just like some people dress like their favorite rap singer or athlete. It's just that most people don't recognize who I'm imitating. At different times, the clothes have been different things. Personal expression. Imitation. Art. I still don't feel like I've really found myself completely because being here in Lima is so stifling. But I also don't really feel like I have to hide myself behind my clothes as much anymore. So, I'm letting a lot of them go. I don't need them now, but they were fun. I'm ready to move on."

"Me too. I've been so lost, just blowing in the wind. Chasing after things because it was expected. But now, I'm ready to move on too. What else do we have left to do in here?"

"I'll go through my books, movies and CDs after dinner. Let's go downstairs where I have all my projects, past and present. I can't just leave those here to collect dust when I move out. How about a fashion show? I'll put the stuff on and you can take my picture. I'll put all the pictures on a CD and I'll be able to look back at all the crazy stuff I've made without having to physically keep it all."

"Lead on. Your photographer, I will be." Sam followed Kurt down into the basement into a small room with a sewing machine and a closet full of outfits. He saw some he recognized like the one Kurt wore when he sang the duet by himself. Others he had never seen or heard about. "Wow. I've never been in here. This is amazing. Did you really make all this stuff yourself?"

"Well, some of it I bought in stores and just altered like the half black, half white 'Le Jazz Hot' suit. Other things, I created on my own, like the Lady Gaga outfit with the high-heeled shoes from sophomore year. And the only reason you've never been in here is because I've not really made anything this year. I've been busy with a boyfriend, Glee and a lot of extra studying."

"Alrighty then. I'm going to move everything along this wall to the other side of the room so that you can stand in front of the blank wall for me to take your picture."

Kurt pulled things out while Sam moved some stuff away from the area where he was going to take the pictures.

Sam said, "I'm ready when you are."

They spent the next hour in the room with Kurt changing outfits over and over again until Sam had gotten at least three shots of him in every outfit.

"What are you going to do with all of them?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe I'll put them up on Craig's List. Maybe some small theater company or some school would like to have them to use for shows."

"That's a really good idea. I can create duplicates of each outfit photo and crop your head out of the photos so you can post the pictures with the listing."

"So, is there anything else that I don't know about that still needs sort, boxed up or packed to go with us."

"Other than taking the sewing machine upstairs to my closet, not that I can think of. How about dinner? What sounds good?"

"How about chili. It's super easy and fast."

"Perfect. How about you go make it and I'll get started on my books, CDs and movies. Bring the bowls up to my room when you're done and we can watch a movie while we eat and I sort."

"It's a plan."

Kurt went up and looked around his room. He actually started with the knick-knacks and photos sitting around his room. He removed the prom photo from its frame and put it in his keepsake box. He was too upset about Blaine to make a reasonable decision on whether to keep the photo long term, but he definitely didn't want to look at it every day anymore. He took the crown and scepter and laid them on his bed. He'd go get a gift box and wrapping paper for it later. And he'd send it with Sam to give to Stacy next weekend. He didn't have any toys left, but maybe he had a DVD or some books Stevie would want. If not, he'd find out something Stevie wanted, buy it and send it with Sam as well.

He decided that he wouldn't take the photos of his mom and him with him, but he'd get them copied and take the copies with him. That way his room wouldn't be completely empty and his dad would still be able to look at the photos too. Kurt added copying the photos to his to-do list.

By the time Sam came upstairs with the bowls of chili, Kurt had actually managed to move on to the CDs, movies and books. He started with the books and picked out the ones he would actually read and put them on his desk. The rest he dusted and left on the shelf. The CDs were pretty quick to go through since he bought most of them for himself, but he did actually find a few that Blaine had bought him that he didn't want to keep and he put those in the donation box. He didn't think he'd be able to listen to Katy Perry or P!nk anytime soon. The movies were harder because he and Blaine had bought and watched a lot of the movies together over the last 18 months. Before he went off to Dalton, he didn't really own that many movies that were his personally. But since then, he had bought a lot of them specifically to watch with Blaine. He finally decided that he just couldn't make any more decisions. He had done enough for the day. He let Sam choose a movie and they watched and ate.

When the movie ended, Kurt turned it off and showed Sam the scepter and crown. "I want you to give these to Stacey. It will be good for me to know that those objects of ridicule have been turned into objects of joy for Stacey. Can you look through the books on my shelf and the DVDs and see if there are any that you think Stevie would like. If there aren't, just let me know something he'd like and I'll get it and wrap it before you go to Kentucky next weekend. I couldn't possibly send a gift for Stacey and leave Stevie out."

Sam stood up and started looking through the DVDs on the shelves. "Why do you have the _Transformers_ complete series box set? I never figured you for a big cartoon fan. It's not even open."

"Oh, I had forgotten about that. I got it in a Christmas raffle last year for some charity. Do you think Stevie would like that?"

"Uh, duh. He'd jump up and down and climb all over you like he always does if you gave it to him."

"Well, then, consider it his. I'll go down and get a box for the crown and scepter and some paper to wrap the stuff with. While I'm gone, why don't you look through all of my movies and slide the ones you like to this empty shelf here. That way those will be sure to go with us to Connecticut. I'll add the ones I want to keep to yours later tonight."

"Okay." Sam started the task of choosing DVDs while Kurt went to get the supplies he needed.

Kurt came back and did the wrapping. He took the wrapped boxes, moved them to Sam's room and put them with the other boxes that Sam was taking back to Kentucky next weekend.

Kurt went back to his room. "Finn's going to be home soon. Can you bring the vacuum cleaner in here and maybe you can do that while I finish dusting. Then, for our final chore of the evening, you can clean the hall bathroom and I'll clean the one in here."

"So, shall it be," Sam said stiffly. Then, he smiled and winked at Kurt. He and Kurt managed to get everything done before Finn got home.

They sat down in Kurt's room and went over their lists. They had made a lot of progress for just one day. They both felt a lot more at ease with their plan. Now, they just needed to get ready to face the week at McKinley.

"I'll ask for that official transcript from Miss P tomorrow. Could I take that folder of info to my room for the evening? I'll be sure to keep it out of sight so no one sees it."

"Sure. It's in my bag still. Just grab it and take it with you. I'm going to head to the shower and then to bed. It's going to be a long week and I need some sleep.

"Good night, Kurt."

"Good night, Sam."

Sam took the folder to his room, sat down at his desk and turned on his laptop. Once it was ready to use, he looked up the university, high school and apartment complex. He bookmarked the websites and put them in a folder that wouldn't attract any attention.

He uploaded the photos he had taken of Kurt in the sewing room from his phone to the laptop and deleted them off of his phone. He also created a folder for them that wouldn't attract attention. He decided he was too tired to do the editing tonight, but he'd definitely do it tomorrow. Kurt had so many more things on his plate than he did that he could help with the small time-consuming things like the photos.

Before shutting his computer back down, he added a password so that no one could snoop around since Kurt wanted his plan kept secret for now. He went to bed with a smile on his face and a feeling of happiness for the first time in a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

Monday morning started off like most Mondays, with everyone wishing it were Sunday again. But Kurt and Sam had things to do and they needed to get to school early to get started on them.

"Sam?" Kurt knocked on Sam's door.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming. I'll be right out."

Kurt grabbed his satchel and went to the Navigator to wait on Sam.

"Okay. I'm here. Let's go."

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On the way to school, they talked about Kurt's NYADA audition on Wednesday and Sam's birthday.

"Have you decided on your audition song?"

"Yeah, I'm going to go with 'Not the Boy Next Door'. I have the auditorium reserved after school for 30 minutes if you want to come hear me practice. If not, I'll just meet you at the Navigator when I'm done."

"Okay."

"I know you're going to Kentucky next weekend and you'll celebrate your birthday there with your family, but do you want to have a party here?"

"Nah, that's too much trouble. Your family already does so much for me, I can't have them do a party too."

"If you say so, but you know Carole wouldn't mind."

"I'll think about it."

They both got out and went in.

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After what seemed to be the longest school day ever, Glee finally got started.

"Okay everyone, listen up," Mr. Schue practically shouted. "We have less than two weeks before Nationals. I already handed out permissions slips and emergency contact forms, but if you've lost yours, there are extras up here on the piano you can grab. They have to be turned into Miss Pillsbury by Friday. We need to work hard on our pieces today. We're going to split for today's practice. Sue is going to take the girls and work on 'The Edge of Glory' on the stage with the band recording. Rachel will stay in here and work on 'It's All Coming Back to Me' with the musicians. The guys will be going with me to the dance studio to work on the choreography to 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light'. Let's move everyone."

They all worked in their assigned groups until the final bell rang. Kurt was pretty tired from running through the choreography for 45 minutes straight, but he didn't let it stop him from heading over the auditorium. He only had to wait a couple of minutes for Brad, Mercedes, Tina, and Brittany to arrive. The band wouldn't be joining them, but it was better than no rehearsal at all.

"Thanks for helping me with my audition," Kurt said to everyone. "I know we're all tired, but I'd like to run through the song three times, if possible. Rachel has reserved the auditorium after school tomorrow and this is my last chance to rehearse until Wednesday. I have passes for the three of you so you can be here the period before my audition to rehearse once or twice before the audition itself."

They all did their best to focus and made it through three times. Kurt thanked everyone and they all left.

Kurt stopped by his locker, then made his way out to the Navigator where he found Sam waiting for him. "Hey, I thought you might come watch."

"Sorry, I couldn't. The only appointment time Miss Pillsbury would give me today was after school. I didn't want to wait until later. But on the upside, I do have the official transcript that you said I needed. And I turned in my permission slip and emergency contact form for Chicago."

"Excellent. We'll have to cross that off the list when we get home. Did you think about the birthday party?"

"I think I'll pass. How about just the two of us go somewhere out of town, eat somewhere unusual and watch a movie in a theater instead of at home since my birthday is Thursday? And since it's my birthday, we'll watch another sci fi movie."

"If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do."

"I'm going to see what's playing."

They pulled up in the driveway while Sam was still looking through movie listings. He followed Kurt up to his room. "Ooh… _John Carter_ is still playing at the theater in Findlay."

"Okay. How about a restaurant?"

Sam searched through places on his phone. "How about Japanese? I've never had Japanese food before and the prices look decent and the pictures of the food look good."

"Well, then it's settled. We'll go to Findlay Thursday and watch _John Carter_ and eat Japanese food."

"I'll see you at dinner. I have to get my homework done before then because I after dinner I have to start reviewing for my Psych AP exam." Kurt showed Sam the very detailed study schedule he had created for himself for the next two weeks. He noticed that Kurt had left Thursday evening empty when he made it. That made him smile.

"See ya." Sam went to his room to get started on his own work, but before he could forget, he pulled the transcript out of his bag and put it into the folder where the Connecticut information was.

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Rachel was in top crazy form the next morning when she met Kurt at his locker. "Are you ready for your audition? Are you doing 'Music of the Night' like I suggested? What are you wearing? Can I come watch you rehearse?"

"Rachel, slow down. I'm as ready as I'm going to get. I have still been practicing 'Music of the Night', but I think I may do something different, something that's more 'me'. My costume is at home. And you can't watch me rehearse because you booked the auditorium this afternoon. I practiced yesterday."

"Oh. Why would you do something besides 'Music of the Night'? You've been practicing it for months."

"I've practiced lots of pieces of the last several months. I'm assuming that you're still set on 'Don't Rain on my Parade'."

"Of course."

The bell rang and Kurt left Rachel to make his way to class.

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At lunch, Kurt was accosted by Rachel again. "I just overheard Tina talking. You cannot do 'Not the Boy Next Door' for your audition."

"I need to be excited about this audition. I need to be inspired."

"No, no. It's too controversial. You can't wear Peter Allen's gold lamé pants."

"It was controversial in 1962, not so much anymore. And NYADA is a Broadway school."

"You haven't practiced that enough. I've been belting out 'Don't Rain on my Parade' since I was TWO. It's my go-to song. This is the biggest moment of our lives here. We cannot be taking risks."

"Isn't that the exact moment to take a risk?"

"Kurt, I think your sabotaging yourself. You don't think you're going to get in so you're choosing a song that your not prepared to do so that you have something to blame when this doesn't work out."

"Do you really think I'm doing that?"

"Yeah. I think you think you aren't good enough, but you are."

"Thanks, Rachel."

Rachel walked away. Kurt went to his classroom and sat down at his desk. He knew that he was going to have to eventually tell her and everyone else that he was going to Connecticut. He felt so torn because he felt like he was leading Rachel on, but he did try to convince her to apply to other schools. He just couldn't justify the enormous debt he'd end up in if he borrowed all the money he'd need to go to NYADA, if he even got in.

His dad and Carole both worked. And his dad was a congressman now, so on paper it looked like they had a lot of money, so more than likely he wouldn't get anything but loans for financial aid for NYADA. But Dalton had used up his dad's savings and they still owed money on all of his dad's medical bills. Their bills went up when his dad and Carole got married and they bought the bigger house. Plus, his dad had to hire someone new to work at the shop with all of the time he was spending in DC now.

He tried to remind himself that he and Rachel might not even get into NYADA. He knew though, that even if he did get in, he was going to Connecticut anyway. Saving $40,000+ a year for four years made the lights of New York dim quite a bit. He could still move to New York after he graduated if he still wanted to live there. Plus, Rachel wasn't old enough to live off campus with him anyway since she just turned 17 in December. He just hasn't bothered to bring it up. No point in poking at a hornet's nest. With what he learned from Blaine on Thursday, he wouldn't share an apartment with Rachel anyway. What kind of friend makes a pact to do something like that in the name of acting?

At lunch, he turned in all of his assignments that were due that afternoon, got the new assignments for the next day, and asked both teachers for passes to the library. He spent the afternoon doing his homework so that once he got home after Glee he could focus on studying for his AP Exams. He only had eight days left to study for the first exams. With Glee rehearsals sure to start spilling into after-school hours, he had to do whatever he could to stay on top of everything.

Glee rehearsal was intense again. The difficulty was that different people were in different songs, and only a few of them were in all three songs. So, rehearsal involved Kurt sitting around a lot, but having to stay. He wished he could focus while the songs that he was not in were being rehearsed, but they were all in the auditorium today and it was just too dark and noisy to do any decent studying.

Kurt had heard about Puck's problem with his Government test. Government was a required course to graduate and Puck had failed the final. The last thing to turn in was a research paper, but with an F on the final, there was no way he'd even get a D in the class. He moved over to where Santana and Brittany were sitting. "I have a proposition for you two lovely ladies."

"Sorry, Sanny told me I can't make out with you anymore."

"Not that kind of proposition. Puck failed that Government final. I happen to know that you aced it, Santana. I want Puck to graduate with us. So, I propose a game of 'strip' government facts. You and Brit invite Puck over to study. Santana, you already know what he needs to know. Write out cards with the info on it. Every time he gets one right, one of you removes a piece of clothing."

Santana rolled her eyes at Kurt.

"You know I'm joking about the game. I don't honestly care how you do it. Just get those facts into his head. I heard the Glee guys talking about helping him, but you know they'll all just end up horsing around and not being very helpful. Sam and Mike took it last semester. Finn is the only one taking it this semester. Rory, Artie, Joe and Blaine aren't even seniors. I don't think they'll be that much help. What do you say?"

"Fine. Britt and I will get Puckerman up to speed for his retake. When is it?"

"It's whenever he schedules it, but I'd suggest Friday since it would be a lot better to have it over with before we go to Chicago next week."

"Gotcha. After that crap his dad just pulled, he needs all of us to be there for him. I got it. Thursday evening we'll kick those facts into his head or I'll kick his butt myself."

"Thanks, San."

"Yeah, whatever."

Rehearsal ended and Kurt saw Santana and Brittany approach Puck. Kurt was satisfied and left the auditorium. He went straight out to his Navigator, and for the first time in a while, he beat Sam to the truck. He got in and pulled out his study schedule again to get himself back into his plan. Sam finally came out and hopped in. They went straight home. They both grabbed a snack and spent the afternoon in their rooms, Kurt reviewing for his upcoming exams and Sam reading more about Connecticut.

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Carole's flight was delayed and Finn and Sam ordered in pizza. Finn set out to go pick Carole up from the airport after the pizza arrived. He was the one that had driven them there on Saturday. He and Puck had used the trip Saturday as an opportunity to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while they were in Cleveland. After Finn left, Sam went to check on Kurt because he hadn't come down to grab any pizza. He took the box up to Kurt's room and knocked on the door.

"Come in, Sam."

"Hey, you didn't come down, so I brought the pizza up to you."

"Oh, thanks. I guess I had the music up too loud to hear the doorbell."

"I read a bunch more stuff about Hartford. It looks like a pretty cool place. I'm going to start bookmarking sites about things that look fun to do. Did you know it's only like an hour and a half from Hartford to Boston? We could go to the ocean. I've never seen the ocean. We could go to all those cool historical sights that I've seen in movies."

"I did not know the distance to Boston, but you're right, we should definitely go there sometime. It's only a 2-hour drive to New York, so we'll have to make at least a couple of trips there too."

"Ooh. That's sounds fun. How's the studying going?"

"It's okay. I feel pretty confident. It's not like I've waited until the last minute and I'm trying to cram. I've been studying since last fall. I'm just reviewing and I'm going to take a practice test after I eat."

"Do you want anymore pizza?"

"No. I'm good, thanks."

"Okay, then. I'll go put the rest of this in the fridge. And I'll leave to you take your practice test in peace. Good night."

"Thanks, Sam. Good night."

Kurt finished the practice test and put it in his bag, did his nighttime rituals, and got in bed. He had to be up early the next morning to make sure he was perfectly coiffed and ready for his audition. He'd grade the practice test sometime during the day the next day.

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The next morning, Kurt took all of the items he needed out to the Navigator while still in his pajamas. He tried to eat breakfast, but didn't manage to get much down. But he had the coffee that he'd need to stay focused. He got ready and got Sam to get a move on and they left for school.

He placed all four costumes in the changing areas in the auditorium and then spent the first two periods wishing time would both slow down and speed up. His nerves were just getting the best of him. He managed to copy down the assignments, but not much else during either period. At 10:00, he made his way to the auditorium and met Brittany, Mercedes, and Tina. He showed them where he had put all of their stuff and then went to his own area and got ready. By 10:15, everyone in the band and Brad had arrived and they started with some warm ups and then the four of them ran through Kurt's song twice.

By 10:30, Rachel arrived and started to get ready. Kurt and his swans waited in the girls' changing area while Rachel warmed up. She ran through her song once and then came back to the changing area as well, but didn't stay long. She left and came back only a few minutes later and pulled Kurt out to the wings of the stage.

"Throat coat? Just to avoid last minute irritation," she offered.

"Hit me."

"So, you know how they say 'knowledge is power'?"

"Mm hmm."

"Okay, well I got last minute intel about our NYADA adjudicator, and well, I don't want to make you anymore nervous than you already are."

"Now, you have to tell me."

"It's Carmen Tibideaux."

Kurt couldn't hide the shock and fear on his face. "What? She's one of NYADA's more famous and infamous alums. Kurt went on about Madame Tibideaux's accomplishments. And then said, "I think I'm going to throw up."

Rachel spoke about what her dads had learned online. "She's going around the country to pick out her own inaugural class."

Kurt recounted a few frightening stories of Madame Tibideaux's wrath. Then he heard his named called solemnly.

"Kurt Hummel."

Kurt and his swans stepped out on stage to their starting locations. "My name is Kurt Hummel and I will be performing 'Not the Boy Next Door' from the Peter Allen biomusical _The Boy from Oz_.

Kurt's performance was spectacular. He hit every note, made every mark, and moved flawlessly in the gold lamé pants that were iconic for the song. His last note soared.

Madame Tibideaux's face remained politely stoic, but her response afterward was quite positive. "You know Hugh Jackman won a Tony for playing Peter Allen." Kurt nodded. She continued, "Hugh trained with me the summer I was in residence at the Sydney Opera House and I'm certain that he would have been as impressed with what you did with that song as I am." She smiled. "A bold choice, young man. I congratulate you for taking such a risk today."

Kurt thanked her, turned and blew kisses to his swans, bowed and left the stage.

Finn was backstage and handed a bouquet of flowers to Rachel and asked her if she was nervous.

"Oddly, enough. Not at all. I'm ready."

"Rachel Berry."

Rachel moved to the center of the stage. "Hi, I'm Rachel Berry and I'll be singing 'Don't Rain on my Parade' from my favorite musical _Funny Girl_." Rachel began to sing, but after a few lines, she repeated a phrase and stopped singing. She put her hands up to her face, "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry. Please just let me start over one more time. I'm sorry." Rachel started over, but this time, she didn't even make it through two full lines before she flubbed the words again. "I'm sorry. I don't know. I know this song backwards. I know this. I can start it over one more time."

Madame Tibideaux interrupted Rachel's rambling with a resounding, "NO."

"Excuse me."

"You get eight bars. I gave you sixteen. Do you know what happens when you forget the words on Broadway? They give the job to your understudy. I'm very sorry. This audition is over." Madame Tibideaux packed up the book she was taking notes in her bag and proceeded to leave the auditorium, while Rachel stood on the stage crying and pleading for another chance.

Finn moved to the stage to comfort Rachel, and helped her get to Miss Pillsbury's office to call her dads. They came and picked her up and took her home. Finn told her that he'd go over as soon as he got out of school that afternoon.

Kurt was speechless. Rachel choked. What was she going to do? He went back to the dressing area and changed back in to his regular clothes and headed to lunch after he put his garment bag in the Navigator.

By the time he reached the lunch table, Finn had already told everyone sitting at the Glee table about Rachel's failed audition. The atmosphere was bleak. He just couldn't bring himself to go sit with them. He took the food on his tray, leaving the tray behind, and headed to the choir room. Sam had been watching for him to come to lunch and saw him leave.

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Sam wasn't sure where he had gone, but he checked the choir room first. "Hey, your audition ROCKED! I've never seen the musical you said that song is from, but boy were those some fancy pants." Kurt laughed.

"How did you see the audition? I didn't have a way to get you a pass since you weren't part of my swans."

"I have my ways," Sam said waggling his eyebrows. Kurt rolled his eyes. "Okay, if you have to know, I told my teacher that I was going to be sick and got a pass to the nurse's office, but I took a detour through the auditorium to get there."

"I see. Thanks for sneaking out to watch. That means a lot to me. Did you stick around for Rachel's audition?"

"No, but I heard what Finn said. Was it really THAT bad?"

"Worse, probably. She completely choked. She didn't even make it through the first verse."

"Oh, man. What's she going to do?"

"No idea. I just didn't want to sit around at the lunch table while everyone moped. She's such an attention hog. She tried to convince me not to do that song. And Madame Tibideaux seemed to love it. Just once, I'd like people to be happy for me about something I accomplished, but this whole thing will turn out to be about Rachel. Just you wait and see."

"Well, I think you killed it. Would getting in change your mind? Would you go to New York, if given the chance?"

Kurt looked around to make sure that no one was around. "No, I want to know if I'm good enough to make it. But it's just not worth it. The cost of living is like twice what it is where we're going and I don't want to graduate from college with nearly $200,000 in debt. As a performer, I just cannot justify that much debt when work may be hard to come by until I get established. Paying back $200,000 in 10 years on a mechanic's salary as my back up plan just doesn't work for me."

"Yeah, I get that. This summer I need to start looking into grants and scholarships to see what's out there. You can help me with your amazing prep-school college search skills."

"Deal."

"Did you take AP classes when you were at Dalton? Is that how you got started with them because no one around here talks about them. I looked them up and there's like Music Theory and Art History and a bunch of other stuff. I wish we had classes like that here. I'd have a decent chance at getting good grades in those classes."

"When I transferred mid-semester last fall, I was given a choice of classes and based on some testing I was given during the enrollment process, I was placed into several AP classes. It was a real struggle to get caught up to where the classes were because I was so far behind. I didn't have to do make-up work like papers and tests, but I had to know all of the material that had been covered before I enrolled or I wouldn't be able to do well on the final exams or final papers. So, I just buckled down and read until my eyes nearly fell out. That's why I wasn't home much the first semester I was there. Of course, the second semester was a breeze compared to the first since I was there from the beginning. That's how I had more time to come home for visits. But then not long before the semester was going to end, David apologized and the Bully Whips were set up and I did want to come back because as much as I enjoyed the academic challenge, being alone was tough. I didn't really have time to make new friends for the first few months because of how behind I was. Other than making friends with Jeff, who was my roommate, and Nick, Jeff's boyfriend, I just never really made a place for myself socially there."

"There were only about three weeks of school left at Dalton when I left the dorm and came back home. But the AP Exams were at the beginning of May, the week after I left. I made a deal with Dalton before I left. I had to follow through with taking the AP Exams for the AP courses I was in and I had to turn the other work in for my non-AP classes still while I was here at McKinley. Dalton's semester ends earlier than ours. It was an unusual arrangement, but since Dalton is a private school, I managed to get things worked out. So, I wasn't technically enrolled here until after I had taken the AP exams and turned in my other coursework, which was just in time for me to actually be a student here and eligible to compete at Nationals. So, my transcript from last Spring shows me completing the semester at Dalton. I didn't earn any credits at McKinley."

"Basically this year, I've been taking AP classes in an independent format. I went to Dalton and got the textbook names for the courses and ordered used copies online. There was really nothing left for me to take here at McKinley since Dalton is ahead academically. I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want to be singled out for anything other than what I'm already harassed for. I know you noticed that my books were different, but you just never asked and I appreciate that. I really wanted to continue with the AP classes because I actually enjoy learning. That's why I didn't rejoin the Cheerios this year. As much fun as it was, I knew that the AP college credits would be worth a lot more to me than being able to add the Cheerios to by CV."

"I had wondered about that since being a Cheerio would have cut down on the harassment."

"Well, it hasn't been nearly as bad this year as it was in previous years. David being gone helped since he and Azimio were the ringleaders after Puck and Finn stopped bullying people."

"I'm glad I wasn't here to see that. I just can't really imagine Puck and Finn being the kind of bullies that Karofsky and Azimio were."

"Oh, trust me. They were. Mr. Schue used to walk right by the dumpster where they provided me with my morning dumpster dive. He'd greet me like I was having a great time standing there waiting for him to get just far enough past the dumpster that they could toss me in without him seeing. Nailing our patio furniture to our room was football team's idea. That cost my dad thousand of dollars because he had to have our roof professionally repaired. Nail holes through the shingles and underlying boards do permanent damage. Something that obviously never came to mind when the ignoramuses were doing it. I never did find out who came up with the idea for the pee balloons, but even the dry cleaner couldn't get the smell out of my coat."

Sam just sat there in shock.

The bell rang and startled Sam out of his contemplation. They got up tossed the trash and headed to their afternoon classes.

Without Rachel, only the Trouble Tones' song could be rehearsed completely. So, rehearsal was cut short for the boys after a few run-throughs of the choreography for their group number. Kurt dropped Sam off at work and then headed home.

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Kurt went in to the kitchen to grab a snack and a drink and he turned his phone on briefly to check for any texts or voicemails from his dad. He found a surprising text from Sebastian sent the day before. How did he even know about his voice lessons?

From Sebastian: Meet me at the West Garden after your voice lesson Wednesday. -Sebastian

Kurt decided to respond.

From Kurt: Sebastian? How did you even get my number?

From Sebastian: Dave.

From Kurt: Oh. Why do you want me to meet you?

From Sebastian: Please just come. I'll be there at 5.

From Kurt: Okay. Fine. I'll be there after my lesson.

Kurt turned his phone back off, got back in the Navigator and headed to Westerville.

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"Hey, Kurt. Over here." Sebastian motioned Kurt toward the bench he was sitting on. As Kurt approached, Sebastian stood. When Kurt got close enough to sit down, Sebastian took a step forward and pulled Kurt into a very unexpected hug.

Kurt stiffened. "Sebastian? Why are you hugging me?" He pulled back and looked at Sebastian and could see nothing but honesty in his eyes. Not a smirk in sight. He relaxed a bit and Sebastian tightened his hold on Kurt, then let him loose and sat down. Kurt followed and sat next to him.

"What was that for?"

"I heard. You broke up with shortstack."

Kurt just sat there somewhat dazed for a few minutes, just staring at Sebastian.

Sebastian spoke again, "I'm so sorry. How are you doing?"

Kurt was still having trouble figuring out what was going on, but then he started piecing things together. "Oh, my God. How long have you known?"

"I knew the day we met at the Lima Bean."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Would you have believed me if I had?"

"No, of course not."

"All of it. The snark, the insults, the constant flirting. You were trying to show me - because you knew I'd never believe you if you told me?"

"Every bit of it. Well, the slushie bit went completely wrong. And I'm not the one that put the rock salt in. I haven't been able to get anyone to confess to it either though. I am really sorry that Blaine had to have surgery. No matter what an ass he was being to you, no one deserves to be hurt like that."

"So, start from the beginning. How did you know?"

"Nick and Jeff. Nick's my suitemate He's the one that invited me to the Warblers audition when he found out I could sing. He and I hit it off pretty well and I thought, 'Why not. I know no one here, might as well join something besides lacrosse.' So, I went. I auditioned. I got in. I heard all of them bemoaning of the loss of Anderson, the great lead singer that left to follow his one true love to public school. Quite the tale," he laughed.

"Uh huh. Go on."

"So, when we got back to my room, I got the Niff version of the story and it certainly didn't seem quite so romantic. You pinning over him while he took you out on non-date dates, him chasing other guys and a girl, even? Then, just when you seemed to have gotten pretty fed up with the whole situation, suddenly he returned your affection. I also found out from Jeff, whose brother had been in classes with Blaine, that Blaine was on academic probation going into the school year last year. He didn't pull his grades up enough and he was facing expulsion. So, his romantic desire to follow you to public school was not so romantic. His parents live on the edge of Lima as you know. They had moved there when he transferred to Dalton originally. So, he lived on the outer edge of McKinley's district."

"Jeff's brother's full of juicy info isn't he?" Kurt retorted sarcastically.

"Yeah, definitely."

"Go on, you still didn't explain how you knew."

"So, there were auditions for lead singer since Blaine was gone. None of the Warblers seemed to know about his academic issues, so I didn't say anything. And as is obvious, I won lead singer."

"Right…"

"Well, back in October, Blaine showed up and walked right into one of our rehearsals. We were doing 'Uptown Girl'. He started flirting with me the instant he noticed me. At first, I didn't know who he was. Then I realized after I saw the other guys' reactions - Blaine. So, after the song, he told us about _West Side Story_."

"Ugh."

"Yeah, we'll talk about that in a minute. He brought tickets for the Warblers to go watch and he had coffee with me, alone, in the cafeteria afterward. He was playing up the 'bashful schoolboy' routine quite well, but making it perfectly obvious that he was interested. I asked him about why he left Dalton and got the answer that I had heard from the Warblers, 'his heart was at McKinley'. Of course, he had no idea that I knew so much about him since I was the new kid. He talked about Dalton, the Warblers, how he was lead at his new school and how he was lead in the play. No specific mention of you."

"He does like to talk about himself."

"So, I asked him if we could get together again. He readily agreed. We met a couple more times. You caught us that day at the Lima Bean."

"Yeah, that was an unplanned stop. I was dead tired after school and was facing a long shift at the shop to make up for needing time off earlier that week."

"So, you walked in on us and at least he had turned me down and refused to cheat on you before you walked up, but that was the first time he had talked about you and he said he didn't want to mess up his 'thing' with you and that you were really 'great'. No declaration of love, no real emotion in what he said. But you, you were possessive from the get go. You loved him. I could tell immediately. And your shock about me showed that he was hiding our little coffee dates from you. You had no idea who I was. I decided to brazen. That whole '20 minutes after we broke up' line was just for fun. I've never picked guys up at Scandals. I don't do randoms in bars. I like being healthy and safe. Plus, sex in THAT bathroom? No way. When I went to Scandals, I arrived alone and left alone - always."

"This is all very interesting. Go on."

"So, we met at Scandals that night. Blaine spent the whole night dancing with me. You didn't look like you were having any fun at all, but you did eventually stop talking to Dave and come out and dance for a bit. Then you possessively took your lightweight boyfriend and high-tailed it out of the bar."

"Yeah. That was a bad night all around." Kurt tried to hold back the tears, but some were escaping anyway.

"Hey." Sebastian reached for him and put his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Did something else happen that night?"

Kurt nodded. "Maybe some other time. I can't talk about it right now."

"Okay." Sebastian removed his hand from Kurt's shoulder.

"So, from then on I made it my mission to be a total prick to you and flirt with him. I just wanted you to see what I saw. By then, Niff had shown me all the videos they had of you from McKinley. 'Four Minutes', 'Le Jazz Hot', that Celine Dion medley, and others. I knew you were amazingly talented and fire-cracker hot, but you behaved so differently around him. For God's sake you were Krupke in that damn play. Whose stupid idea was that? You are a much better singer than him. Didn't you audition for Tony?"

"Of course I did. I needed the lead. I was applying for performing arts schools and he's a junior."

"Why on earth was he chosen over you?"

"He's a 'man' and I'm not, at least not at my school."

"What?"

"I was laughed at. I eavesdropped when the teachers and Artie were discussing the auditions and I overheard them talking about how I'm 'too much of a lady' to play Tony."

"That's absurd."

"Thanks. You and I seem to be the only ones to think so."

"Anyway, back to what happened. I made it my mission to belittle you. I never said anything nice about you in all those months that he and I texted. Why did you put up with that, by the way?"

"Oh, I didn't. He just didn't listen."

"I see. Anyway, I had hoped that I could get you to see that he didn't love you."

Kurt interrupted. "Why? What was it to you that my boyfriend didn't love me?"

"I saw myself in you," Sebastian said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"In France. I had a boyfriend. He was a year older than me. He, well, I still can't talk about it easily. Let's just leave at this. He lied and manipulated me into doing a lot of things that I shouldn't have and I lost myself somewhere along the way. I woke up in the hospital in July and my mom and dad had already made up their minds to ship me here to my dad's to go to Dalton."

"Wow."

"My dad and I don't get along. I didn't want to come here. I wanted to stay in France, with my mom and the rest of my family. My dad and mom insisted on counseling when I got here in July. It really made a difference. It didn't make me like my dad any better, but it helped me see what had happened to me in France. I saw that same look in your eyes. The 'I'd do anything for him.' look that I used to have. But he didn't look at you that way. You were meek. You didn't act at all the way you had in those videos that I had seen of you. You were disappearing, just like I had."

Kurt didn't say anything.

"People told me. They told me to get out of the relationship. I didn't listen. I didn't think that you wouldn't listen either. I thought maybe I could make you see it for yourself. So, I was an ass."

"That's true enough," Kurt laughed quietly.

"I wanted to be your friend. I just knew that if I tried that route, that he would ice me out and make you stay away from me."

"Well, you're right about that. He doesn't, I mean didn't, let me be friends with other guys."

"But back after Dave's attempt, I freaked out. He had hit on me at Scandals one night. And as I said earlier, despite my outward bravado about being a player, I'm not really. I shot him down like I shoot every guy down that hits on me there. But when I heard about his suicide attempt, I realized that I might have contributed to how bad he felt about himself. I realized that maybe I was making things worse for you by being an ass to you all the time. I just backed off. I stopped texting Blaine. I stopped stalking you guys at the Lima Bean. I apologized to you guys. I know you didn't really believe me and I could understand that."

"Well, you did a great job of playing the villain."

"You know, I would have never posted any photos of Finn online. That was the only photo and I photoshopped it in like five minutes. I honestly thought that if I could force Berry out, that maybe you'd get a lead, which you totally deserved. It was a dumb idea, but you know, we all have them sometimes."

Kurt laughed.

"So, how did you finally figure it out?"

"Figure what out?"

"That he doesn't love you."

"Oh."

"Well, long story short. He accused me of cheating on him by singing 'It's Not Right, But It's Okay' to me in Glee last Wednesday."

"So, that's why you missed your lesson last week."

"You knew about that? Of course you did. But how?"

"My lesson is right before yours. I was sitting in my car a few months back after my lesson one afternoon and I saw you arriving."

"Oh. Well, thanks for keeping it to yourself, I guess."

"So, back to last week. He sang a break up song to you in front of all of your friends."

"Yeah." Kurt flushed. "I was mortified. I'm not a cheater. I was humiliated."

"I can imagine. Why would he think you were cheating on him?"

"I met a guy at Between the Sheets a week ago Friday. Hyper, enthusiastic, and auditioning for a school in New York. He complimented my outfit and acted like maybe we could be friends since we were both auditioning for schools in New York. He asked for my number, I gave it to him. He left. We talked for like not even two minutes. He started texting me. Short version. Blaine accused me of cheating on him on Tuesday because of the texts."

"So, you had texted back and forth for what, a few days? That's rich considering how many months he spent texting me."

"Yeah, I pointed that out, but got nowhere. So, Tuesday he stormed out of my house and I didn't hear from him or see him until he stormed into the choir room and blasted me with a break up song Wednesday afternoon."

Sebastian looked confused, but nodded to encourage Kurt to keep talking.

"I went home and spent a lot of time thinking and crying. It was Whitney week in Glee and my knee-jerk reaction was to sing 'I am Nothing' in an attempt to calm everything down - to calm him down. But then I spent a lot more time thinking. Why was it my job to apologize for something I didn't do? I realized that I had been the one to change and give up things for him so many times. And eventually, I just realized that I couldn't go on living by his rules. Making a new friend, even if he is more hyper than a six year old after drinking Koolaid, was a choice I should be able to make for myself."

"Wait, I know who you met. Chandler. You met Chandler, didn't you? He's a hoot. Blaine thought you were cheating on him with Chandler?"

"I take it that you know Chandler," Kurt laughed.

"Yeah. We've met. Did he send you crazy flirty texts?"

"Yep. That's what started all the drama."

"Oh, I bet," Sebastian bent over laughing. "My favorite was the 'asp' one."

"Anyway, to answer your question about figuring it out. Without getting into private details, I really examined a lot of the things that had gone on between us and came to some conclusions that I didn't like. I skipped school, with permission, Thursday, and invited him over after school. That talk yielded even more disturbing information and it solidified my decision to end things with him. It's over. Permanently."

Sebastian grabbed Kurt again and pulled him into a hug.

"What's with all the hugging?" Kurt asked.

"I'm just so glad for you. You deserve someone who loves you for who you are."

"A future member of a Puerto Rican pride float entourage?"

"Ugh. You know you look great, don't you?"

Kurt looked away.

"Wait," he paused. "Kurt, look at me." He waited and finally Kurt turned toward him. "Your sense of fashion is great. You remind me of what I saw in Paris. God, you could be a model. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize that you believed any of that stuff I said. I was trying to see if Blaine would stick up for you. I never meant to hurt you." Tears were streaming down Sebastian's cheeks. "Oh, God." He leaned and propped his elbows on his thighs and put his face in his hands.

"It wasn't any worse than anything else that's been said to me over the years. At least it was just words and not another dumpster toss."

Sebastian's head popped up. "What?" he asked, shocked. "What do you mean dumpster toss?"

"What do you know about why I went to Dalton last year?"

"Nothing really. I couldn't get anything out of Niff or anyone else."

"That's because none of them know. If you want to continue this, then let's go get some food so I can at least eat dinner while we talk. I'll call home so I won't be expected for dinner. I have a tight schedule this week." Kurt stood and pulled his phone out. "Well, are you coming or not?"

"You want me to go to dinner with you?"

Kurt nodded and motioned for him to follow. Sebastian followed while Kurt quickly let Carole know he wouldn't be home. "Okay, here's my truck. Do you want to ride with me or follow me?"

"I'll just get in."

They both got in and Kurt drove them to a nearby sub shop. They ordered quickly, took their food to go and got back in the Navigator. Kurt drove to a park not far from Dalton. They got out and moved to a shaded picnic table.

"Okay. I wanted to leave campus because, other than Blaine, I've never told anyone exactly why I transferred. But since you've decided to tell me some things about your past, I'll take a chance and share with you what happened, but if I you share this with anyone, there's no second chance." Sebastian nodded. Kurt went on to explain everything that had happened to him from the dumpster tosses, locker shoves, and taunts to the kiss in the locker room and the death threat.

"So, wait." Sebastian was piecing everything together. "You went to Dalton because Dave threatened to kill you if you outed him?" Sebastian looked perplexed. "The same Dave that you visited in the hospital and you're friendly with? The one that I rudely turned down at Scandals?"

"Yep, THAT Dave."

"You are amazing."

Kurt looked at Sebastian with questioning eyes.

"You are friendly with a guy who threatened to kill you. You forgave him after he made your life hell and made you change schools? No wonder you were willing to meet me today and give me a chance to talk to you. You're a saint," he laughed.

"Am not. I just try to see the best in people. Trust me, you and Dave have made that pretty hard at times."

Sebastian laughed. "I bet. I was a real ass to you."

"That's over, though. Right?"

"Definitely. I'm really sorry."

"I forgive you, Sebastian."

"I probably don't deserve it, but thanks."

They both went back to eating for a few minutes.

Kurt spoke up first. "So, are you staying in Ohio or going back to France this summer?"

"Well, I haven't been home since Christmas, so I'm definitely going home to see my mom over the summer. Any more time in this backwoods state and I'm going to go nuts. I hated my parents for sending me here last summer, but it really has done me a world of good. I still don't like my dad, but he's gotten tolerable over the past school year. But Ohio will never be home. I hadn't lived in the States since I was 6, when my parents got divorced. But that's why I don't have a French accent when I speak English, even though I lived there most of my life. My mom and I went back to France to live near her parents after the divorce. I used to come here in the summer for court-appointed visitation with my dad. It was boring then and it's even more boring now."

Kurt switched to French," _I can't disagree with you on that. I've lived in Lima my whole life. The first time I even flew on a plane was last year when we went to New York for Nationals._ "

Sebastian answered French, " _Where are you going for college? Surely you're not sticking around here, right_?"

" _Definitely not. I can't answer you about the details for now though because I haven't even told my friends. Only my family knows. What about you? Are you returning to Dalton in the fall or staying in France and finishing high school there_?"

" _Neither. It took until almost spring break before I was certain that I'd be able to graduate this year. That was another thing that made me disagreeable in general. I thought I was going to have to repeat a year because of changing schools. The school systems aren't exactly the same or totally compatible. But my mom didn't give up. She fought and fought to get Dalton to accept some of my course work from France that didn't exactly match the courses taught at Dalton. And I had to take classes I mostly hated. But she eventually prevailed and in a few weeks, I'm done._ "

" _You have something in common with Sam, but his story doesn't end so well._ "

" _Sorry to hear that._ "

" _I'll tell you more about that and about where I'm going to school some other time. So, are you staying in France for college or going some place here_?"

" _Well, I'm a third generation Yale legacy, so that's where I'm headed. Dear old Dad will pay for me to attend Yale. He wants me to be a lawyer like him. I'm not interested in the least. But as a compromise, I'll still go to Yale like he wants and I'll study something of my own choosing._ "

" _Well, we won't be far from each other in the fall then. I still won't say where I'm going, but it's closer to Yale than McKinley is to Dalton._ "

" _Now, I'm going to have to look up all the colleges near Yale to try to figure this out,_ " Sebastian groaned.

" _No. You can just wait until I tell you._ "

" _I didn't realize until ten minutes ago that you even spoke French. I guess I never thought much about it. I mean I had seen the Celine Dion medley, but it never dawned on me that you spoke it. How are you so fluent? With no Midwest accent_?"

" _Well, you and I have more in common than I realized until about ten minutes ago. As I said, I've lived in Lima my whole life, but the same is not true of my mother. My mother was born in France._ "

" _Carole is French_?"

" _Carole isn't my mom._ "

" _That's right, I remember. Okay, go on._ "

" _My mom was an exchange student from France and attended McKinley her last year of high school. She and my dad met, fell in love and she didn't go back to France after graduation. They got married at the end of that summer and stayed in Lima. My dad worked at his dad's shop and eventually took it over when my grandpa got sick and died before I was born. So, a few years later, I came along and my mom only spoke French to me while my dad, of course, only spoke English. So, I grew up bilingual. But she got sick when I was seven and then died when I was eight. My dad didn't want me to lose that part of her and I began studying French with a tutor that taught at the college in Lima. I basically did the type of work that elementary school kids do, reading, spelling, and grammar with her. I wanted to stay connected that that side of my family and I got interested in French music and movies. But I've never really had anyone to talk to except my tutor and of course, the French teacher at Dalton._ "

" _I'm sorry to hear about your mom. Are your grandparents still in France_?"

" _Thanks, but it was a long time ago. And yes, they are. I speak to them on the phone and on Skype and I still actually write real letters to them. But I've never met them in person. They're not rich, by any means, and my dad's never had the money to send me. It took a long time to get the shop turning a profit because my grandpa had let some things slide when he was sick that my dad didn't find out about until after his death, then my mom's medical bills, home repairs, and then when we thought things were looking up, my dad had that heart attack and ended up in the hospital in a coma, then my transfer to Dalton ate up the savings. We're still working on paying off those hospital bills, almost there, but still._ "

" _Wow. You always dress so nice and you drive a Navigator. You went to Dalton. I never even considered money issues._ "

" _Well, the Navigator came from a flood sale. It was deader than dead. The engine was completely shot. My dad bought it for next to nothing and I started rebuilding it the summer before I started high school. By the time I was old enough to drive, I had my baby in tip top perfect condition._ "

" _You can rebuild cars_?"

" _Yeah. I used the Navigator as my training ground. I've been a certified mechanic since I was 16. I spent most of my childhood at the garage after school. I started learning to work on cars when I was eight. No money for babysitters. My dad paid for the tutor because he was determined that I wouldn't forget French. But that's all. I used to practice dance by watching videos from the library in the back room of the garage while my dad worked when he was too busy to teach me stuff. I learned a lot of stuff from videos. Once I got old enough to go to the library on my own, the internet and YouTube taught me a lot of things._ "

" _Uh huh_ ," Sebastian smirked.

" _Not THOSE kind of things, you pervert," Kurt laughed. "Like drywalling, painting, minor home repairs, and cooking._ "

" _You cook_?"

" _Okay, you're the first person I've met that would question my ability to cook as opposed to my ability to hang drywall, paint and fix a leaky sink." Kurt smiled. "Thank you. And yes, I cook. After a while, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, frozen pizza, and take out get old. My dad could burn water, I think._ "

" _Why I asked about the cooking it's because I LOVE to cook. But French food, not American food._ "

" _You know, we really blew it. You and I could have been friends for the last six months._ "

" _I know._ "

" _How about we just don't waste more time and start being friends now_?"

" _You're amazing you know. I know already said that, but it's true. I'd love to be friends. You said you've never been anywhere but New York, right_?"

" _Yeah._ "

" _Well," Sebastian paused. "I haven't answered my dad about what I want for graduation yet."_

" _Okay_?" Kurt responded.

" _I'm not staying in France the whole summer. My mom is coming here for my graduation and I'm going back then, but I have a two week long program that I'm going to at Yale the last two weeks in June._ "

" _So, you're leaving after graduation, then coming back to Yale for two weeks, then going back to France until school starts in August_?"

" _Exactly."_

" _What does that have to do with your graduation gift from your dad_?" Kurt asked.

" _I'm going to ask him for an extra ticket to France._ "

" _Why?"_

" _Because I want you to come with me. We'll go see the sights. I'll take you to wherever your grandparents live._ "

Kurt sat stunned.

" _I know you don't get out of school until a week after I do, but you can fly then and I'll pick you up at the airport._ "

Kurt still said nothing.

" _It would just be for three weeks, but it could still be fun. What do you say_?"

" _You'd take me to France_?"

" _Of course._ "

" _Three hours ago, I thought you hated me and now you want to take me to France._ "

" _Well, now you know that I never hated you._ "

" _Yes, but still, I've only known that for three hours._ "

" _True. But I really want to do this. I think it would be a lot of fun. Will you go with me_?"

" _Are you even sure your dad will agree to buy the ticket_?"

" _Yeah. He's loaded and he doesn't care. He's the type of father that throws money at a problem or situation. So, while he's never been much of a dad, I've never wanted for anything. So, our dads are pretty much opposites of each other. My dad doesn't like that I'm gay, but if I keep it to myself, he's okay with that and he's paid for everything I've ever wanted. He just never paid any attention to me. If I ask for the ticket, he'll just hand over his credit card and tell me to go buy it and give him his card back._ "

" _Wow."_

" _Yeah._ " He paused. " _I do have another question though. If money is so tight, how do you always dress like you do_?"

" _Oh, those videos I mentioned. I taught myself to sew. I buy things at Goodwill and consignment stores and then I alter them to give a designer look to them. I use my mom's old sewing machine. I read Vogue and other fashion magazines. I make cheap clothes look trendy and style them to suit myself._ "

" _You are a truly renaissance man."_

" _Well, as they say, 'necessity is the mother of invention'. I'm nothing, if not determined._ "

Kurt grabbed their trash and stood to throw it out.

" _That pretty much brings us full circle. You originally asked how I figured out that he didn't love me. He didn't stick up for me. He didn't believe in me. I nearly lost my belief in myself. When I started getting acceptance letters in the mail, I realized that I was actually surprised that I had even gotten accepted anywhere. When I was offered a full scholarship, I was stunned. Then a week later, I was accosted in song and I realized that I really had lost myself along the way this year when I realized that my first reaction was to sing 'I am Nothing' as a response to his false accusation._ "

Sebastian nodded and stood. He moved around to the side of the table where Kurt was standing and he opened his arms.

" _Welcome back._ " Kurt stepped into the hug this time.

" _Thanks. This has been the most interesting afternoon and evening I've had in a long time, but I'm falling behind. I have three AP exams next week and tomorrow I'm taking Sam out to celebrate his birthday. So, I have to get back to Lima, pick Sam up from work and review some more. Thankfully, I've already finished my homework for tomorrow. Come on, I'll drive you back to Dalton._ "

They both got back in the truck.

Sebastian started their conversation back up. " _So, will you go to France with me_?"

" _I don't even have a passport. I'll have to find out whether I even have time to get whatever I need to travel in order in three weeks time. I'll look it up when I get home. I'll text you later okay_?"

" _I'm so glad you gave me chance this afternoon._ "

" _Me too."_

Sebastian got out of the Navigator, shut the door and headed into the building, waving as he opened the dorm building door. Kurt waved back and then headed back to Lima. He picked Sam up on his way home. Sam regaled him with some funny stories about his customers that evening. He loved doing impressions and making the balloon animals for the kids. And of course, the parents of happy kids would leave the best tips.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

As soon as he got to his room, Kurt turned his laptop on and started researching how to get a Passport. Six weeks. That wouldn't work. Expedited. Yes. That's what he needed. He read through all the details. He'd have to go to a Passport office to get it done and there were none in Ohio. He scanned the list again - Chicago. He made a list of everything he'd need and he clicked the link to make an appointment in Chicago for next Thursday bright and early. He texted Sebastian.

To Sebastian: _I'll need the ticket by Tuesday._

From Sebastian: _I take it that your answer is yes, then._

To Sebastian: _YES. YES. I'll go. But to get a Passport that fast, I have to apply in person and the closest place to do that is Chicago, which his where I'm actually going to be next week for Nationals. I made an appointment online before I texted you. But I have to have the ticket in hand in order to get the Passport process expedited. And pay the fee, of course. There is always a fee to go faster._

From Sebastian: _Of course._

To Sebastian: _Don't buy the ticket just yet, though._

From Sebastian: _Why not_?

To Sebastian: _I have talk to my dad._

From Sebastian: _Aren't you 18 already?_

To Sebastian: _Yes, I'm almost 19. My birthday's the 27th of May._

From Sebastian: _Mine's in September. You don't need his permission._

To Sebastian: _I know, but I want to tell/ask him anyway._

From Sebastian: _I can understand that. Text me with your final answer. I already talked to my mom about it. She's perfectly fine with it. She's glad to hear that I finally made a friend here._

To Sebastian: _I'll call him now. He won't be home until really late tomorrow night and I want to get this settled soon._

From Sebastian: _Okay._

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt called Burt. "Hey, Dad. I need to talk to you. Do you have a few minutes?"

"Sure."

"Great. Well, today was a really interesting day to say the least. You know my NYADA audition was this morning."

"Right. How did that go?"

"Well, it went really well for me. Madame Tibideaux was the person who came from the school. She's amazing. She's done all these," he stopped. "Never mind, anyway, she praised my audition and seemed to really love it."

"That's great. Why don't you sound more excited?"

"Well, it's what happened afterward. Rachel completely choked. She got through about four lines and then lost her place. She asked to start over and she did, only to flub two lines into the song. Madame Tibideaux refused to let her start over again and told her that Broadway performers who forget their lines get replaced by their understudies. She packed her bag and left the auditorium. Rachel broke down and ended up leaving school."

"Well, that lady is right of course, but I'm sure Rachel is devastated. You said she didn't apply anywhere else, right?"

"Yeah. I tried and tried to convince her last October, but she wouldn't listen and I just let it drop. You know how stubborn she is."

"Yeah."

"I called for another reason though. I've been offered a chance to go to France after graduation."

"How? By who?"

"I'll explain all of that some other time, like Friday when you're back at home. But I really want to go, Dad. I know I don't need your permission, but please say that it's okay."

"You're almost 19. I can't stop you. I know how much you've always wanted to go and I know your mom would have eventually taken you. Are you going to see your grandparents?"

"Yes, Dad. I'll definitely go see them. So, that's a 'yes'?"

"Yes, but I want details when I get back."

"Of course. Goodnight, Dad. See you Friday."

"See ya, kiddo."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt called Sebastian rather than texting him again.

"So, it is a yes or no?"

"Hello to you too," Kurt laughed.

"Fine, fine. Hello. Yes or no?"

"YES!"

"You sound a lot more excited than earlier."

Kurt switched back to French, " _Earlier, I was stunned. Now, I'm ecstatic._ "

" _Well, then, let me get off here and go buy you a ticket. When can you leave_?"

" _How about an overnight flight on the 27th? That way I can still be here in the afternoon to celebrate my birthday with my dad._ "

" _Okay,_ Sebastian paused. " _Give me a sec search flights. Leave the 27th, return June 17th._ " Sebastian was silent and Kurt could hear typing and mouse clicks in the background. " _Okay. I got it. Let me go get my dad's card and I'll call you back or text you after I buy it._ "

" _Okay._ " They hung up.

Kurt got up and started picking out his outfit for the next day and his phone started buzzing. He picked it up and it wasn't Sebastian so he just ignored it. He went to Sam's room and knocked.

"Come in. Oh hey, Kurt. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Actually, really good. I'll tell you more tomorrow. I just came to make sure that we are on for tomorrow evening."

"Of course."

"What time do you want to go? Are we doing the movie first or second?"

"I think second. I don't wanna get back really late. So, let's eat first."

"Good plan. So, leave at 5:00. Eat around 6:00. Is there a showing around 7:30?"

"Let me check," he paused to pull out his phone. "7:20."

"Perfect. I have to get back to studying, but I'm looking forward to trying Japanese food tomorrow. Are you sure you don't want to invite anyone else?"

"I'm sure."

"Goodnight, good sir," Kurt bowed as he exited the room, closing Sam's door as he left. As he entered his room, he heard his phone ringing. He grabbed it off his bed and saw that it was Sebastian.

" _Hello._ "

" _It's done._ "

" _I'm still in shock, but super excited. I have two AP exams at Dalton on Monday. Will you meet me at that sub shop for lunch at 11:15? My brain might be kind of fried after the Calculus test, but I'll need to eat before the Psych test at noon._ "

" _I'm taking the Psych test too, but not the Calculus test. Sure, I'll meet you there at 11:15._ "

" _We can talk more then. I'm not sure how much time I'll have for anything other than studying between now and then. Math isn't my favorite subject, but I'm not bad at it. It just takes a lot of focus. Oh, and if you text or call me, don't get upset if I don't respond quickly. There's a lot of fallout here from the break up and Rachel's audition. I'm leaving my phone off most of the time and just checking it a couple of times a day._ "

" _What happened with Rachel_?"

" _Oh, that's a disaster. We got to talking earlier and I never said anything about today. Rachel and I auditioned for NYADA today. My audition went quite well. Rachel totally choked. The short version is that she ONLY applied to NYADA and she blew her audition. So, now my life will be full of Rachel drama. I'll probably have to hide out all weekend somewhere else to get any studying done._ "

" _I don't live that far from you, like 45 minutes. Why don't you come my house. I promise to not bother you. I have my own exams to study for._ "

" _Really_?"

" _Seriously._ "

" _I totally would do that, but I have no way to get there. Sam's going to Kentucky for the weekend to spend time with his parents for his birthday, which is actually tomorrow. He takes the Navigator when he goes to see them._ "

" _You let Sam take your 'baby' all the way to Kentucky_?"

" _Don't be such a smart aleck. Sam's my best friend and he's a good driver. He's been driving it ever since he came back to Ohio in November._ "

" _Wait, Sam lives with you guys_?"

" _Yeah. He has ever since he came back._ "

" _Something else I didn't know amongst all of the other things I learned about you today._ "

" _Back to my transportation problem. If you come get me, I'll stay at your place. I'd love to get out of here. With Sam gone all weekend, it will be the Rachel drama show 24/7 all weekend with me stranded without a car to escape in._ "

" _When's Sam leaving_?"

" _Right after dinner. Like 7:00._ "

" _Okay. Have him bring you to the McDonald's near the highway junction and I'll be there at 7:00 waiting for you. That way Miss Nosy Pants won't see me pick you up at your house and turn the drama up a notch or two._ "

" _Wait. So you want me to stay over_?"

" _Is that a problem_?"

" _No. No, it's not. Not anymore._ "

" _Why was it a problem before_?"

" _Maybe another time. I've still got stuff to do tonight._ "

" _Alright. Bring swim trunks or you can wear a pair of mine. We'll take study breaks and swim. We have an indoor saltwater pool._ "

" _Of course you do._ "

" _Now, who's being a smart aleck_?" Sebastian laughed.

" _Fine, fine. We'll swim, we'll study. When will you bring me back? So, I can tell Carole how long I'll be gone._ "

" _Sunday night? Sam can meet us again. Maybe everyone will just think you went to Kentucky with him._ "

" _Sounds like a plan. I'll have him call when he's like an hour out so we can meet him. Good night Sebastian. See you Friday._ "

" _See ya._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt turned his phone back off and went to find Carole. She was in the living room reading in her favorite chair. He sat down on the couch across from her. She looked up. "Is there something you need, Kurt?"

"Can we go back out to the swing to talk again?"

"Sure, sweetie." She marked her place in her book and placed it in the chair. They went out back.

"I didn't want anyone to overhear us."

"I understand."

"I hate putting you and Dad in the middle sometimes, but I can only handle so much drama and Finn keeps no secrets from Rachel, which of course is good to be truthful with your partner, but at the same time Rachel blabs everything. So, I have to keep stuff from Finn in order to keep my private business from becoming JBI's latest scoop."

"I know. What's up?"

"Has Finn been home yet?"

"No, he called and said that he was staying at Rachel's until curfew."

"Okay. Well, then I guess I'll be the one to tell you. Rachel absolutely choked her audition this morning."

"And she didn't apply anywhere else, did she?"

"Nope. I tried. She's stubborn."

"Oh, I know that."

"What I'm going to tell you doesn't really have anything to do with Rachel though. This afternoon, after my voice lesson, I met with Sebastian at Dalton."

"Well, that's a surprise."

"It was a surprise for me too. He asked me how I figured it out."

"Figured what out?"

"That's what I asked. He knew that Blaine wasn't in love with me. I guess he heard through the grapevine that we had broken up. And he asked me how I figured it out. He explained that all of his smack talk and shenanigans were to get me to see the truth. He said that he knew that if he just tried to flat out tell me that I wouldn't have listened to him. And he's right."

"How did he know? None of us figured it out."

"It's a long story that involves divulging private information, so let's just leave it at the fact that he knew."

"Fair enough. Go on."

"So, anyway, I spent over four hours talking to him this afternoon and evening. I learned a lot of things. He and I have so much in common. It's really surprising. This part will be the real shocker. He's taking me to France after graduation. His dad offered to give him whatever he wanted. And he wants to take me to France. I've never met my mom's parents in person." Kurt's eyes started filling with tears. "I'm going to get to finally meet them."

"Oh, Kurt. That's amazing. I can't say that I understand at all what caused you to go from thinking that Sebastian was a creep to being willing to go to France with him. But you can explain that some other time since it's already so late tonight."

"So, another topic. Tomorrow is Sam's birthday. Would you be willing to get up and help me make him a nice breakfast? He said he doesn't want to trouble us with a party and he and I are going out to dinner and a movie tomorrow evening, but I'd at least like for him to know that everyone cares enough to wish him a happy birthday."

"Done. I'll pre-chop everything tonight. Fruit salad and a veggie omelette, right?"

"Exactly. Last thing I need to let you know. I'm going to leave when Sam leaves to go to Kentucky Friday evening after dinner. He's going to drop me off and I'm going to spend the weekend at Sebastian's. He only lives about 45 minutes from here so if anything were to go wrong, you could just come get me. But I have three AP exams on Monday and Tuesday. With all of the impending Rachel drama, I just can't be here all weekend listening to her sob about how she has no future. And since Sam's taking the Navigator, I won't just be able to get out of the house and go somewhere else very easily."

Carole nodded in understanding.

"I'll text you Sebastian's number and his address so you'll know where I am, but I'd rather people just think that I went to Kentucky with Sam. It'll keep the drama level down because if Rachel finds out that I've gone to the 'dark side' and befriended Sebastian, there'll be no end to the ranting with the mood she's in already."

"Got it. Birthday breakfast for Sam. You and Sam will be gone tomorrow evening. You're leaving with Sam to go to Sebastian's for the weekend Friday after dinner. You and Sam will be back Sunday night. And at some point you're going to France. Does that cover it all?"

"You've got this mom thing down pat, you know. A+ listening skills. Thanks! I'll explain the France thing to you and Dad before I leave Friday night. But staying in Westerville all evening wasn't on my to do list for today. So, I'm behind, but on the upside, I made a new friend and I got to practice my spoken French all evening. That has to count for something."

"Definitely."

They both got up and went back into the house. Carole made her way to the kitchen to start chopping instead of going back to her book. Kurt went back to his room and gave up on the idea of doing anything else. He took the fastest shower possible, did shortened version of his moisturizing routine and slid into bed.


	4. Chapter 4

The surprise birthday breakfast for Sam was a big hit. They all pigged out on the omelettes, pancakes, turkey bacon and fruit salad that Carole had prepared.

"Thank you so much for this, Carole. It was amazing!" Sam said enthusiastically. "I'm sorry that we have to eat and run. I hate that you have to clean after you did so much work."

"Only you and Kurt would be concerned about someone else doing the dishes. It's fine. Just scoot. Have a great day!" Carole ushered the three boys out the door. Kurt and Sam jumped in the Navigator and Finn headed off in his truck to go get Rachel.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"So. That was a surprise."

"That was the point. I wanted to surprise you. You turned down my offer of a party, but I couldn't let you get away with not celebrating at home at all."

"Well consider me celebrated. Thanks!"

"Just so you know, I'm still leaving my phone off most of the time. With the break up and Rachel's flopped audition, there's just too much drama. I don't have any reason to stay after school, so I'll be ready to go right after Glee unless you need to stay for some reason."

"Nope."

They both hopped out and made their way to their classes.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The death stares had died down, but he was mostly still being actively ignored by the New Directions. His lack of sharing information had aggravated most of them. But it didn't matter to him. This high school drama was three weeks away from ending and he no longer felt the need to participate in it at all.

He did seek out Santana at lunch though to make sure that his plan to help Puck pass the Government final was still on her agenda. "Hey, San. Slide over and let me sit by you." She squished tighter against Brittany who didn't mind at all. "So are you still going through with my plan tonight? I don't need details. Just are you doing it?"

"Yep." She kept her voice low. "'Operation Pass Gov' is in effect. Everything's been scheduled and he's retaking it at lunch tomorrow. So, we'll know if it's a success by Glee tomorrow afternoon."

"Excellent. I'll make your favorite cookies as your reward if he passes. I'm not sure when I'll get them made, but you know I'm a man of my word." He got up and went to the library for the rest of the lunch period.

He suffered through his two afternoon classes instead of asking for a pass to the library because he couldn't risk missing whatever the teacher might possibly cover that would be important since he was missing school for seven days in a row starting on Monday.

Glee was chaotic. They were back in the auditorium. With Kurt, Sam and several of the other guys only being in the final number, there was a lot of dead time. It was too dark to study and too noisy to listen to anything. Kurt decided that it was the perfect time to sort through his overflowing texts and voicemails. He checked to make sure that none of the texts were from family members and then decided to just delete everything else unread that he had in his inbox. He didn't even want to know what they said. It didn't make any difference anymore. He checked his email and deleted everything since last Wednesday that wasn't from a family member or the university. A swift end to chaos. He didn't want to read apologies or nosy questions. He'd deal with the voicemails later.

Finally it was time to practice their final number. He was still paired with Blaine for a brief featured duet, four-person and six-person highlight in the song. No solo. Favoritism. After years of it, he was just fed up. He was really hoping that the school he had chosen wasn't like high school at all. He just turned on his best acting skills and performed his part. Surely, any school that would offer him a full scholarship didn't intend to push him to the bottom and offer him nothing. It gave him hope.

He and Sam booked it to the Navigator and avoided talking with anyone. They arrived home quickly and Kurt started toward the stairs. "I'll meet you in the Navigator at 5:00."

"Got it."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam headed down to the basement and Kurt went up to his room. He got out his study schedule and looked through it. He started compiling all of the materials and books that he would need to take with him to Sebastian's. He also pulled out pajamas, underwear, socks, and packed them up with his travel moisturizing and toiletry kit, adding in a couple of things since he'd be swimming. He decided that he'd just wear some of Sebastian's trunks that way he wouldn't have to bring home anything wet. They were close in size. It would be fine. He moved to his closet and picked out four outfits, two really casual and two more like what he normally wore in case they did actually leave Sebastian's house and go out somewhere. He managed to get everything packed up with a couple of minutes to spare. He looked at himself in the mirror and decided to just go as he was. He grabbed Sam's gift, put it in his satchel and headed down to the Navigator, where he found Sam already waiting for him.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Adventure awaits. Let's go," Kurt said as he got into the driver's seat. "I'll drive there and you can drive back, if that's okay with you. I didn't get enough sleep last night and I'd rather not drive back."

"No problem. I put the restaurant's address in while I was waiting. We're good to go."

They spent the drive talking. Kurt told Sam about his newfound friendship with Sebastian. And Sam, being Sam, just accepted him at his word.

"If you say he's a good guy, then I believe you."

"Thanks. That means a lot to me." He went on to explain the weekend plans. Sam was good with the whole thing.

"I'll call when I'm about an hour away, like you said. It'll work just fine. I think it's great that you can escape the Rachel drama show. Did you hear her crazy plan today? She and Tina are planning to drive to wherever that judge is going to be tomorrow to ask her for another audition."

"Oh, no. You're joking."

"Nope, not at all. I heard them talking about it at lunch."

"That is not going to end well."

"Probably not, but you know Rachel. She thinks she can badger her way into getting whatever she wants."

"Yeah, I know. That started long before you transferred here. She's always been Mr. Schue's favorite. Well, her and Finn."

"There. Over on the right. It looks like the parking lot is behind."

Kurt saw the turn off and pulled into the lot. They got out and went in.

"Wow. This place is cool," Sam said as he looked around. "Pretty fancy for Findlay. I'm glad I picked this place."

"Me too."

They ordered several smaller dishes to share since neither of them had ever had Japanese food. Both of them were pretty adventurous and open to trying new things and they ended up liking everything they ordered.

Kurt reached down to his bag and pulled out Sam's present and put it on the table.

"Kurt, you weren't supposed to get me a gift."

"Too late. I had already had it before you told me not to get you anything."

Sam looked down at it and smiled. "Well, thanks."

"Open it."

"Okay." Sam unwrapped the box carefully, not wanting to destroy the beautiful wrapping paper. He opened the box. "Oh, wow, a flash drive. How unusual. What is on this flash drive?"

"Well, I made a deal with Mrs. Langston last year after I saw your first painting in the art room. I take art classes too, you know. I knew you were really good. So, I made a deal with her that she would let me photograph all of your artwork so that you could use it for a portfolio some day. The flash drive has high-resolution images of all of your artwork from the last two years. I burned a back up copy to a couple of DVDs at home. You can give one of the DVDs to your parents and they can see all of your artwork for themselves this weekend."

Sam started to cry. "What? How?" he asked. "Never mind, you're Kurt, who can perform the unimaginable. You were at Dalton half the year last year."

"I ended up having to get Mrs. Langston to take a few of them when I couldn't make it to the school to do it myself. She's already written a letter of recommendation for you for college. You can pick it up tomorrow. She told me it was ready when I took the last photographs yesterday."

"I had taken some photos with my phone, but they were not that great. I can't believe you did this. There's no way to thank you enough for this."

"There's no need for unending thanks. You're a fantastic artist. I know you lost some of your work when the bank locked you out of your house last spring. I didn't even know a bank could do that."

"Neither did we, obviously."

"At least you have the photographs so if any of the pieces that got lost were ones that you would want to submit in a portfolio, you'll have those to submit."

Sam stood up and pulled Kurt up into a hug. "You're the best, you know that."

Kurt just laughed and said, "Let's get out of here before we miss the beginning of the movie."

Sam put the flash drive back in the box and handed it back to Kurt for safekeeping in his satchel. They made their way to the movie and Kurt was surprised at how much he ended up enjoying it. Sam drove them back home. He managed to grab Kurt again on the way in and hugged him again. "Thanks for a most awesome birthday."

"You are most welcome. Come on." He grabbed Sam's arm and pushed him in the door. As they walked in, they saw Burt and Carole sitting on the couch. They both got up and moved toward the boys.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Dad, you're back. I didn't think I'd see you until the morning."

"Happy birthday, Sam," Burt said patting Sam on the shoulder. "I'm sorry I missed the birthday breakfast this morning. I hope you had a good day."

"It was awesome." Sam headed up the stairs and Kurt stepped closer to his dad to give him a hug.

"Good night, Sam," Carole said.

"So, Carole tells me that there has been a lot going on while I was gone."

"Yeah, that would be an understatement. I'm assuming that she told you about my weekend plans."

"She did and I can't say that I'm happy to hear that you're going to be gone all weekend, but I do understand how important those exams are next week and I know that you won't get much studying done here. I'm moving Friday night dinner to Monday next week since all of you will be in Chicago on Friday. No guests. That should prevent Rachel drama."

"Okay, Dad. Monday dinner. I'll go change my schedule and put that in. I have stuff left to do for tomorrow. I'm sorry, but I have to get upstairs and get it done. If I had known you were going to be home early, I would have tried harder to get it done earlier today."

"That's okay. I understand. Go get your work done."

Burt turned to Carole, "He works too hard for a kid."

"I know."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt was up early the next morning and had already packed all of his stuff in the backseat of the Navigator by the time Sam came down to eat breakfast. "I'm ready when you are," he told Sam.

They left for school. It was the last day before his seven day break from school and the eleven most crazy days of his life. A weekend with Sebastian, three AP exams, a trip to Chicago, including the Passport office, Nationals, then back for two more exams. Then, he could breathe easy with only his McKinley finals left before graduation.

He reminded Sam, "Remember to go see Mrs. Langston to pick up your recommendation letter and let's meet at Miss Pillsbury's office at lunch to see about getting you out of having to attend classes the week that the seniors have off before graduation. You and I are going to Cedar Point that week, Monday I think. No getting out of it," he teased.

"Of course. It would be just like me to weasel my way out of a trip to a theme park. What torture," he said mockingly.

"See you at lunch."

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Sam went straight to Mrs. Langston's room. She looked up from her desk as he entered. "Sam," she said. "I have that letter right here. Kurt told me a little about your plans. I'm so glad that you are going to be able to get more art training. You've been a great student and you're really talented." She handed him the sealed envelope. "Kurt has a lot of faith in you too. He was such a sweetie to come up with that idea to photograph all of your artwork. I was glad to fill in for him when he couldn't make it."

"Thanks for believing in me. I'm looking forward to my future for the first time in quite a while. And yes, Kurt's a great friend."

She nodded. And Sam walked out the door to make it to his first class on time.

Kurt sludged through his morning classes, bored out of his mind and trying to look focused while thinking about the weekend. _Indoor saltwater pool? Buying plane tickets to Europe for your son's friend that you've never met?_ Kurt thought _. How much money must Sebastian's dad have? I bet he lives in a mansion._ He forced himself to reality of the classroom, but it only lasted briefly. _But a mansion devoid of interaction. Clearly his dad cares on some level, but he's been away from his mom all year living with someone who pays no attention to him._ It would definitely be an interesting weekend.

Lunch finally arrived. Kurt and Sam spent 20 minutes persuading Miss Pillsbury to grant Sam excused absences for the last four days of school since there would be absolutely nothing for him to do since his classmates wouldn't be in attendance those days.

They met up again in Glee, which was a madhouse since they decided to have a dress rehearsal today in case any of their outfits needed to be tailored. Kurt had managed to get Tina to agree to do any work that needed done since he had too many things on his plate already. He didn't really tell her the whole truth, but he used the fact that senior finals were the week they got back and he had a lot of studying to do. Both were true, but he wasn't worried about his McKinley finals. Kurt slipped away and cornered Santana. "Well? Do I owe you a batch of red velvet cookies or not?"

"You owe me two. Puck got a B on that test."

Kurt picked her up and spun her around. "Amazing! See what can happen when you use your powers for good, not evil. I'll make you a batch of red velvets and the other batch will be snickerdoodles because that's what Britt loves. I don't know how much help she was, but you love her so she gets cookies too."

"Put me down," she protested half-heartedly. She was smiling too much to mean it.

"Spin me too, Kurt," Brittany requested in her childlike voice.

"Okay, fine. I'll spin you too. But just you." He spun her around and she laughed.

"Are you coming to my Dinosaur Prom?"

Kurt looked perplexed. Obviously, he hadn't been paying attention at some point in time. "I'm not sure, Britt. Do we have to dress up as dinosaurs?"

"No, silly. We're all going to wear fancy clothes."

"Okay, then I'll think about it." He already had two tickets, but he didn't know what he was going to do with them, now that he and Blaine weren't together anymore.

"Kurt!" He spun toward where he heard his name called.

"Coming."

He moved swiftly out the door to follow Mercedes to where the costumes were being fitted by Tina. He put his on and it fit fine.

"Oh, good. Yours fits. Next," Tina called out.

Mercedes left to go get Joe.

Kurt redressed and went back to the choir room, passing Mercedes and Joe along the way.

Sam had gone before Kurt. Kurt looked around for Mr. Schuester. "Hey, Mr. Schue, don't forget that I won't be here for Glee on Monday. I'll be here Tuesday though. Sam and I have tried our costumes on. Can we go ahead and leave?"

"Sure. See you Tuesday."

Kurt found Sam and told him that Mr. Schue said they could leave. They both stopped by their lockers and then headed home.

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Kurt followed Sam to his room and started talking while Sam was packing up his stuff for Kentucky. "Sorry all of those extra boxes are in the back. You can just put these boxes and your stuff in the back seat this time."

"Hey, it's not a big deal. I don't have that much to take with me."

"I wanted to talk to you before Finn gets home. You know I told you that I'm friends with Sebastian now."

"Yeah."

"Well, he's taking me to France after graduation."

"What?"

"It's kind of a long story. But I was thinking that your parents might really enjoy you spending those three weeks with them since you won't be there much this summer and then we're moving. I'm going to be gone from the 28th to June 17th. That will still give us three weeks here before we go to Connecticut."

"That's a good idea. I'll talk to them about it this weekend. You'll still be able to talk with my parents this weekend, right? Even though you're going to Sebastian's?"

"Yes, of course. How about 10:00 tomorrow evening? That way Stevie and Stacey will already be in bed."

"That'll work. Call me. That way you don't have to have your phone on interrupting your studying."

"Don't remind me of the studying. I better do well on these exams. I've lost a bunch of hours working at the garage the last couple of weeks by not going in and studying instead. After the second round of tests next week, I'm going to have to work double shifts to make up for it. I traded Bill so he could take a vacation that week."

"I know what you mean. I traded with someone to get last weekend off because I was going to go to Kentucky, but changed my mind last minute. And then I had to get someone else to trade with me for this weekend since I'm going this weekend instead." I'm going to have to take any hours that I can get to make up for it. I need all the money I can get for our move. I don't want you to think it's up to you to pay for everything."

"I know, Sam. You're not that kind of person. Hopefully some of your co-workers will take you on your offer to work their shifts. With finals and proms coming up, I'm sure that there will be people who will want off."

"Yeah, I hope so. Speaking of Prom, I heard that Quinn wanted Finn to run with her for prom King and Queen."

"Oh, my God. I hope not. Rachel's already a disaster waiting to happen. If Finn runs with Quinn, she is going to go into full meltdown mode."

"Who would run with her if he didn't? She'd never run with Puck. She and Mike aren't really close. There's no other Glee seniors. Although I also heard that in a bold, in-your-face move, Brittany and Santana are running together. Rick the Stick is running with Missy Gunderson."

"What about Jeremy?"

"Who's Jeremy?"

"Jeremy Brown. He's one of the senior Cheerios. One of the lifters. He's good looking. They've worked together a lot. I'm going to go call Quinn right now."

"I already put my stuff for the weekend in the Navigator. Just put your stuff in when you're done and we'll be able to leave right after dinner. We're meeting Sebastian at 7:00, but please don't say anything at dinner that gives anything away about me going anywhere but to Kentucky with you. Finn doesn't know about the AP exams and he certainly doesn't need to know that I'm going to Sebastian's. Rachel would have a cow. 'You're spending time with the enemy, Kurt'," he said in a Rachel-esque voice. "I can hear it now."

"Yeah, no need to start that war. See ya at dinner."

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Kurt wasted no time in calling Quinn.

"Tell me it's not true."

"Kurt, you're not making any sense. What am I supposed to tell you isn't true?"

"You didn't actually ask Finn to run for Prom King with you, did you?"

"How did you hear about that?"

"Never mind how I heard. Just answer me."

"Well, I was considering it."

"Well, stop considering it. Are you insane? Rachel just choked her audition to the only school she applied to. And you are thinking of asking HER boyfriend to run for King with you?"

"Well, I can't think of anyone else. Mike and I aren't close and he's not really all that popular anyway."

"Jeremy Brown."

"Who? Oh…" Quinn paused. "He's cute. Is he a senior?"

"Yes. And he's popular and most importantly he's NOT Rachel's boyfriend."

"Does he have a girlfriend?"

"That's your job to figure out. Ask him to Prom. Find out. I have to go. I have to face family dinner at my house, featuring the one and only Rachel Berry."

"Fun, fun, fun."

"You, my dear, have a very twisted sense of fun. But I'm due at the table soon. Call Jeremy. His number should be on the Cheerios rosters from the last four years. Good luck."

Kurt hung up and went to find his dad to have the talk that had been waiting to happen.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt found him in the garage, which provided the privacy they needed and Kurt could keep an eye on the door in case it opened. He explained everything that had taken place with Sebastian. Burt was still unsure as to why Sebastian's dad would just pay for an expensive ticket for someone he didn't even know. Kurt explained that Sebastian already has everything he could ever want and he always has because his dad just buys it. And Sebastian wanted to take Kurt to France and in his dad's mind, that's that. Sebastian wanted it, so he'd get it for him. Burt still didn't understand that type of parenting, but he had already agreed and he just asked if it would be possible to speak to Sebastian's mother to make sure that was actually okay with her for Kurt to spend three weeks at her house.

Kurt called Sebastian and asked him to have his mother call Burt to verify that she was okay with everything. A few minutes later, Burt's phone rang and he spoke with Sebastian's mother for a few minutes and hung up.

"Okay, then. It's fine. She knows you're coming and she actually sounded really excited about it." Kurt hugged Burt and left to go back in to help Carole finish up dinner.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt helped Carole finish plating the food on the serving platters while Sam set the table. They finished quickly and everyone was seated. It was shockingly quiet considering that Rachel usually filled any void with rambling. She didn't say much of anything during the whole meal, really only answering direct questions.

When everyone had finished. Sam and Kurt cleared the table and washed the dishes, while everyone else had gone into the family room to decide on the evening's activities.

When Sam and Kurt entered to tell Burt and Carole goodbye, Rachel was surprised. "Aren't you two staying for the movie?"

Sam responded, "Nope, headed down to Kentucky for the weekend."

He and Kurt left before Rachel had the time to ask about where Kurt was going.

Sam drove and Kurt talked. "I called Quinn. I hope I talked some sense into her. Even if I don't go to Prom, I don't want the drama that would be inevitable from a Finn/Quinn Prom royalty campaign. I mean Jesse and Finn getting tossed out last year and me getting elected Prom Queen is enough Prom drama to last a lifetime."

"I don't really think I want to go. I mean I can't think of anyone I'd want to invite as a date. I don't hate the idea of us going as friends because you are my best friend, but I think one Prom at McKinley is enough for me."

"Well, then I'll try to sell my tickets. Finn is always such a procrastinator. I bet he hasn't bought tickets yet since it's not until two weeks from now. I'm going to call him quickly before we get to McDonald's."

"Hey, Finn. Did you buy Prom tickets yet?"

"Are they already on sale?"

"Yes. They went on sale two weeks ago."

"Oh. Well, I didn't know. So, no, I don't have tickets yet."

"Perfect. Don't buy any at school. You can buy mine from me."

"Um, okay. That works. I'll give you the money when you get back."

"Excellent. Good night."

"Night, dude."

"Well, that's done. Tickets sold. Maybe you can pick up extra hours that night and I'll work on packing for my trip." Sam pulled into the McDonald's lot and parked.

"Well, I'll see you Sunday. Call when you're about an hour outside Lima and I'll have Sebastian drive me back here."

"Will do. Study hard."

"Drive safe."

"See ya Sunday."

Sebastian walked up to the Navigator and Kurt handed him one of his bags, grabbed his other bag and his satchel, and began following Sebastian to his car.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The car ride to Sebastian's house started out quiet. Sebastian pressed the button and started the CD back up that he had been listening to on the way to picking Kurt up.

Kurt starting singing along, " _La Madone au nord, Et le lac se dessine_ " Sebastian joined in. When the song finished, Sebastian paused the CD.

" _You like Julien Doré? Who else do you listen to_?"

" _Sniper sometimes, Zaz, Noir Désir_ ", Kurt paused.

" _Sing something from Zaz._ "

" _Okay_."

"Donne-moi une suite au Ritz, je n'en veux pas! Des bijoux de chez Chanel, je n'en veux pas! Donnez-moi une limousine, j'en ferais quoi. Offrez-moi du personnel, j'en ferais quoi? Un manoir a Nuefchatel, ce n'est pas pour moi. Offrez-moi la Tour Eiffel, j'en ferais quoi? Je veux d'l'amour, d'la joie, de la bonne humeur." Sebastian started singing along with the chorus, then let Kurt take the verse each time.

" _Well, you are just full of surprises all the time_ ," he said as he turned into a long driveway.

" _Wow. It's as massive as I had imagined._ "

" _And it's even bigger when you're all alone. I'm glad you came over. Let's go in_."

They each grabbed a bag and Kurt carried his satchel. They walked up to the door and Sebastian opened it. " _Follow me._ "

They went up a beautiful staircase and then down a long hall. Sebastian led Kurt into a beautifully decorated guest room. " _Just put your stuff over here and I'll show you around if you want._ " Kurt put the bags he was carrying on the bed next to the one Sebastian had put down. " _Through here is the bathroom. Feel free to use anything you need_." Sebastian turned and led him back into the hall. " _I put you in the room closest to mine, which is at the end of this hall,_ " indicating which room was his. " _I'll show you if you want._ " Kurt nodded and followed Sebastian down the hallway.

When Kurt entered the room, he was shocked by how many books Sebastian owned. " _You have your own library_ ," he remarked. He continued to look around, not sure what he was expecting, but being surprised anyway. That playboy persona that Sebastian had donned had given Kurt a totally false impression of the real Sebastian.

"You like it? Sebastian said in English in his best Beast voice, "It's yours."

Kurt laughed, " _You are a nerd and a bookworm, not a playboy._ "

" _You've figured me out. I definitely own WAY more books than porn. Does that surprise you?_ "

" _It would have two weeks ago, but now, not so much,_ " he laughed. " _I have to readjust my view of who you are. Have you read all of these books_?"

" _Yes. I buy a book and actually read it. Then I order more._ " He said very matter-of-factly. " _It's been a long ten months in this backwoods place._ "

" _It's been a long 18 years in this backwoods place._ "

" _Touché. I don't know how you survived, to be honest._ "

" _Sometimes, I wonder the same thing. So, are you taking any other AP exams besides Psych_?"

" _Art History, English Lit, US History, French Language and Culture, English Language and Composition, Spanish Language, and Spanish Literature. Oh, I forgot Music Theory. What about you_?"

" _I took English Lit, English Language and Culture, French Language and Culture, and US History last year. This year, I'm taking some of the same ones that you are. I already mentioned Calculus. Then I have Art History, Music Theory, US Government and Politics, and Psychology. I know that the Music Theory test probably won't get me any credit at the school I'm going to, but I'm not sure. So, I'm going to go ahead and take it anyway._ "

" _If you don't mind me being super nosy, where did you get the money to take so many tests_?"

" _I work at my dad's garage. I told you I was a certified mechanic. I make decent money. I'm on the payroll like the rest of his employees. I usually work 10-15 hours a week. I pay for my own clothes, my car insurance, my phone plan, and I saved up to pay for the AP textbooks and the tests. I've been saving for a little post graduation summer fun and for my move in July, stuff like deposits and maybe a U-Haul._ "

" _You are defying all of the preconceived notions I had of you as much as I surprised you with my nerdiness and bookwormish ways._ "

" _Speaking of all the books, is that what you want to study in college_?"

" _Sort of. I think I want to study comparative lit. I'm fluent in Spanish because that's what I studied starting when I was eight as a foreign language when I lived in France. I spent the summer in Spain when I was 15 on an exchange program. So, I want to keep studying Spanish and maybe learn another language, but I haven't decided what yet. Eventually, I want to be a professor._ "

" _Wow, that playboy image is fading quickly_."

" _Good. I've only ever had the one boyfriend and I told you how badly that went._ "

" _Why did you hang out at Scandals_?"

" _What else is there to do? I don't drink, but I like to dance. It was just something to do to get out of the house on the weekends. I board at Dalton during the week, but part of the deal was that I would spend my weekends here. But my dad would be gone sometimes, and I'd go out for a while. I never got drunk and I always came home before he got back._ "

" _Rule-following, book-reading, polite and actually fun to be around. Who would have thought_?"

" _Down-to-earth, hardworking, drywall-hanging, car-repairing and fun to be around. Who would have thought_?"

" _Touché. Why don't you finish your tour before it gets too late for us to get any studying done tonight_?"

" _Well, follow me then._ " Sebastian led him back down the stairs. " _Over there is the kitchen. If you wake up during the night or just want something to eat at any point in time, the pantry's at the end near the fridge. Just help yourself to whatever you want. There are tons of other rooms down here, but I'm not sure that you'll need any of them. The pool's at the back of the house. We'll swim tomorrow._ "

" _Is your dad home? Does he even know I'm here_?"

" _Yeah. He has a suite on the other side of the house. He knows you're here. Whether he comes out at any point in time, your guess is as good as mine._ "

" _Oh, here. Type in your address and phone number. I told Carole I'd send it to her once we got here_." Sebastian took the phone, did as he was asked and handed the phone back. " _So, back upstairs to hit the books_?" Sebastian went into the kitchen for a minute and poured both of them a large glass of water and then went back up the stairs. Kurt followed.

" _I figured I'd save us a trip down later," handing Kurt one of the glasses. "See you in the morning. If you need anything, you know where I'll be_."

" _Good night, Sebastian. Thanks for letting me stay here_."

" _My pleasure._ "

Kurt showered, moisturized, and got his pajamas on before he pulled out all of his books and put them on the desk. He pulled out his Calculus study guide and his Psych notes and decided to start with the Psych notes. He'd hit the Calculus hard in the morning after he was good and awake and highly caffeinated. He studied for a couple of hours and went to sleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt awoke more rested than he had anticipated. He'd had no problem sleeping in the guest room, which surprised him a bit. He got up and went downstairs in search of coffee.

" _Well, if it isn't my bed-headed guest,_ " Sebastian laughed. " _I now have proof positive that you are human. I've never seen you with a single hair out of place. And in plaid pajama pants with a Hummel Tires and Lube t-shirt. Definitely, not the height of fashion._ "

" _Shush you. Is there coffee_?" Kurt asked.

" _Right here in my hand. Made just the way you like it._ "

" _You're an angel. Even after insulting me_."

" _It's just nice to see you in your ruffled state for once._ "

" _Well don't get used to it. You're amongst a small minority that's ever seen me this way._ "

" _I'm honored_ ," he said as he bowed deeply.

" _Oh, hush_ ," Kurt laughed. " _You're as bad as Sam._ "

" _You mention him a lot and you said he lives with you. You said his story didn't end as well as mine. What did you mean by that_?"

" _Most of this is public knowledge at McKinley, so I'll tell you. Anything that's not public knowledge, I need you to keep between us."_

Sebastian nodded.

" _Last year was Sam's first year at McKinley. His family had lived in Tennessee before. They were financially stable and Sam had attended an all-boys school there. His dad lost that job and took one in Lima. They were okay at first. They bought a house when they moved here. But six months later, his dad lost his job again. They tried to stay afloat, but the bank foreclosed on their house. The bank just showed up one day in late March and locked them out of their house. Everything inside was just gone. They moved into a cheap motel and Sam started delivering pizzas because his dad hadn't been able to find another job. They held out for two months, but his dad finally got an offer for a job in northern Kentucky. So, they left. Sam hated it there and the only job he could get that paid enough was stripping in a club._ "

" _That's really sad. He's not old enough to strip, is he_?"

" _No, but he lied and I guess the club didn't care enough to actually check."_

Sebastian nodded.

Kurt continued. " _We really missed him and wanted him back with us for our senior year. Finn and Rachel went to Kentucky and asked his parents if he could come back to Ohio and live with us. They agreed. He got a job here again, working at a family-oriented diner in Lima. He's super sweet and good with kids. He makes good tips. He sends money back to his parents every month still. I pay for him to be on my car insurance and I pay for his phone. He keeps enough back for a small amount of spending money. He doesn't make as much as he did stripping, but he's still does what he can to help his family. He figures it breaks even since he's not living there anymore and eating their food._ "

" _I don't see how his story is like mine._ "

" _I'm getting there. He came back to Lima to finish his senior year with us, but he came back too late to take the OGTs in the fall. He's dyslexic and he didn't pass them the fall of his junior year and they had moved to Kentucky before the summer retakes. But no one seemed to realize this until this spring when Miss Pillsbury surprised him by telling him that he wouldn't graduate with us one day when she called him into her office. You can imagine how upset he was. It was too late to go back to Kentucky. There was no way to take the OGTs. He was stuck. So, now he has enough credits to graduate, but since he hasn't passed the OGTs, he won't be walking with us at graduation_."

" _What's he going to do_?"

" _Well, this is the part that no one knows._ "

Sebastian nodded in understanding.

" _Sam is going to go with me this summer. He's moving in with me. I'm moving to a state without high school exit exams. He's going to go to a really cool high school that offers a lot of arts classes and is on a college campus. He's already got enough credits to graduate, so he'll take as many of the amazing art classes as he can and maybe try out a couple of college classes. He'll graduate next spring. Then as resident high school graduate, he'll be eligible for this cool program that will allow him to get half-price tuition at some local colleges. With as low as his parents' income is, he'll be eligible for grants to cover the other half._ "

" _You are amazing. I know I keep saying it, but it's true. I just don't think you realize how amazing you are._ "

Kurt blushed and ignored Sebastian's statement. " _My dad is going to cover $300 a month of our expenses, which is what he figures he's spending on us living at home. So, Sam will get a job and I've already got a mechanic's job lined up to start in July. We'll be able to cover the cost of the apartment I found. We'll have to be frugal, but we're used to that. So, that's the story_."

" _When will you tell me where you're going_?"

" _I'm not sure. I'm not used to having friends, other than Sam, that can keep secrets. It'll take some time to trust you._ "

" _That's fair. I haven't given you much reason so far_."

" _When exactly are you leaving for France_?"

" _Graduation is the 19th. Mom is flying in and back the same day. She has no interest in being in Ohio any longer than necessary. My ticket back is for the 22nd, an overnight flight. Why_?"

" _Well, it's been a long time since I've done anything with Nick and Jeff. Are you friends with anyone else at Dalton_?"

" _Just Thad._ "

" _Okay. They all live around here, more or less._ "

Sebastian nodded.

" _Sam and I are going to Cedar Point on the 21st. Let's see if Nick, Jeff, and Thad can go. Do you have Thad's number?"_

Sebastian nodded.

" _I'll call Nick and Jeff. You call Thad._ "

They both pulled out their phones. Sebastian walked out of the room so they could both talk without interrupting each other. When he finished, he came back in and waited for Kurt to end his call.

"We'll work out the details. We can all fit in my Navigator. Yes, I'm excited too. I have to go Jeff. I have AP exams to study for. Yeah, see you soon."

" _Sorry, Jeff was a little over-excited. It's been too long since I've seen him and Nick. So, what did Thad say_?"

" _He said 'sure'. So, it's a date. We'll all go ride roller coasters until we're too dizzy to walk_ ," he said and laughed.

" _Okay. Let's find something to eat and get to work. How about three hours of studying, then we swim_?"

" _Good plan. How about cereal_?"

" _I can live with that as long as we have something more substantial for lunch_."

They each chose a cereal, ate a bowl of it and headed back upstairs to study more.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian knocked on the guest room door and then opened it.

Kurt looked up and said, " _If I never had to see another limits equation, I would be a happy man._ "

" _I'll take your word for that. Math isn't my strong suit. I'm in Precalc/Trig this year. I'm 100% certain that I will never need to know the sine or cosine of any triangle, ever_."

Kurt laughed, " _Probably not_."

" _So, lunch. What sounds good? We'll get ready and swim and I'll order something to be delivered. If you want, we can actually cook tonight. Something French_."

" _How about Chinese for lunch then_?"

" _Sounds good._ "

" _I'll have sha cha chicken, no rice, two spring rolls, please_?"

" _As you wish. Did you bring swim trunks or do you need to borrow some_?"

" _I thought I'd just wear some of yours, if that's okay._ "

" _It's fine. I'll go grab a pair. Be right back._ " He came back wearing swim trunks and handed Kurt a pair of Speedos.

" _Um…_ " Kurt blushed.

" _Just kidding_." He turned around and grabbed the swim trunks he had dropped right outside the door on his way in and tossed them to Kurt.

" _Speedos? Really_?"

Sebastian laughed. " _I was on the swim team in France. No baggy swim trunks allowed in competition_."

Kurt slipped into the adjoining bathroom and changed quickly. Sebastian ordered the food while Kurt changed. When Kurt reentered the room Sebastian started talking again.

" _You shouldn't laugh at my Speedos. I saw you in those short shorts you had to wear for the National Cheerleading competition._ " He started walking down the stairs and Kurt followed him.

" _Oh, yeah. Thanks for reminding me of that. Coach nagged me about my pears hips for months._ "

" _Pear hips? Not that I've seen._ "

" _We had weekly weigh-ins and we had to maintain whatever weight she determined was suitable. She's a lot crazy. Definitely the one faculty member at McKinley that you should never, ever cross._ "

" _Why did you join then_?" Sebastian asked as he got into the pool. Kurt sat on the edge.

" _She offered to feature me on vocals in competition. I was never anything but the background singer to fill in whatever gap was needed musically. I wanted a chance to shine. So, I took it. I almost rejoined this year, but I decided that taking the AP exams would be a better use of my time in the long run since 'cheerleader' isn't on my possible future careers list._ "

" _You are the most focused and practical person I've ever met_."

" _Spend 18 years here instead of ten months and you'd have become just as focused as I am._ "

" _I can see that._ " Sebastian changed the subject back to Kurt's singing. " _Why were you never featured? Countertenors are rare and you have a lovely tone and a huge range. You could have easily sung a tenor lead with Mercedes or Tina. She did a great job on lead at Sectionals last fall. You had a couple of lines and that's more than I had seen in videos of other competitions. Do you have a lead at Nationals_?"

" _Tina does have a lovely voice. And no, I do not have a lead at Nationals. We are singing three songs, pretty much the same pattern as Regionals. One is an all-girls, Treble Tones number with six New Directions girls and six Cheerios. The second song is a ballad sung by Rachel, with back up of three girls and three guys, and I'm not one of them. The third song is our group number. I have a few measures of duet lines with Blaine, and then a couple of shared lines with three people, then five people. No solo, not even any solo lines._ "

" _So, you and Rachel are the only two pursuing music degrees, you are good enough to get a full scholarship to an 'as yet unknown to me' music school on the East Coast and you have no solo at Nationals_?"

" _Exactly_."

" _And you were too 'girly' to play Tony in_ West Side Story?"

" _Bingo._ "

" _Did someone record your Tony audition? Do you have the video_?"

" _Yes. It's on my phone. Why_?"

" _I just want to watch it._ "

Sebastian swam over toward Kurt and put on his best beggy puppy eyes face. He put his hands together like he was praying.

" _Please_?" he pleaded in a high-pitched voiced, batting his eyes.

" _Okay, fine,_ " Kurt grumped back. He got up from the edge of the pool and moved towards where he had laid his phone.

Sebastian climbed out of the pool, grabbed a towel and sat next to Kurt on the chaise. Kurt pulled up the video and Sebastian watched it.

" _That scaffolding was really cool. Singing while hanging upside down? You were dressed like Tony. There was nothing girly about that performance. Just because that's a Streisand song, doesn't make singing it girly. And the sai swords, super hot._ "

Kurt blushed.

" _What's with you and the blushing every time I say anything nice?"_

Kurt turned the phone back off, put the phone on the nearby table, and they moved back to the pool. This time they both got in.

" _It's not like I do it on purpose. I guess it's just because it's so unusual for me to hear anything nice about myself_?"

" _Well, I'm going to do my best to train you out of that by the time you get back from France. Taking a compliment well is just as important as taking criticism well. I spent too much time criticizing you not realizing that I was just pouring gasoline onto flames. It's time to hit you with a fire extinguisher for the next month or two._ "

"It might take longer than a month to undo 12 years of flames. People have been calling me names and insulting me since before my mom died."

" _Well, I consider that to be a challenge, Mr. Hummel._ " Kurt laughed at him and splashed him.

" _Oh, you're going to get it now._ "

Sebastian slid under the water and grabbed Kurt by his feet and pulled him under and then swam away. Kurt came up for air, looking around for Sebastian.

" _I surrender. You win_."

" _You gave up too easily. I know you better than that. I don't accept your surrender because I know it's insincere._ " Sebastian slipped back under the water and swam away again.

They spent the next half hour swimming around and splashing each other. Sebastian called for a truce when he had to get out to go get the food. He brought it back to the pool area and sat it on a table with a couple of chairs next to it. Kurt climbed out and dried off and sat down across from Sebastian to eat.

" _This looks great. What did you order? That doesn't look familiar._ "

" _It's the chef's special at the place I ordered from. It's spicy. You want to try some_?"

Kurt used his chopsticks and took some of Sebastian's stir-fry.

" _Oh, that's good. But you're right, it's spicy._ " Sebastian stood up and walked a short distance to a mini fridge that Kurt hadn't noticed.

" _Water, juice, Coke_?"

" _Water_." Sebastian grabbed two bottles of water and placed them on the table as he sat back down with Kurt. " _Thanks. This has been a lot of fun. I haven't been this relaxed in… I'm not even sure how long. Too long._ "

" _I'm glad you're having fun. So, we'll eat, go back to studying and then break again around 6:00? I've got the stuff we'll need for dinner and we can cook._ "

" _Sounds great._ "

They finished eating, Sebastian collected the trash and disposed of it. He laid the towels out on a rack. Kurt followed him back upstairs. Once he was in his room, he showered and got redressed in the casual clothes he had brought - some shorts and a t-shirt. He was thinking as he got dressed. Why was he so comfortable dressing down around Sebastian? How had things changed so quickly that he didn't feel constantly scrutinized? He let his questions go. He moved back to the desk and set himself back to focusing on Calculus for the next three hours. He got out one of his practice tests and got started on it.

Three hours later, time was up for the practice test and before he even got it graded, Sebastian was knocking on the door. " _Come in. I'm grading my practice test. You can help if you want. You can grade the multiple choice part, while I do the free response questions._ " They both worked on the grading.

" _Well_?"

" _You missed 2 out of 45._ "

" _I got the free response answers correct_."

" _Sounds like you're ready to me. Let's go cook._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

As they entered the kitchen, Kurt noticed cubed eggplant that had already salted, allowed to drain and then dried off. He saw other vegetables out on the counter that had already been washed.

" _When did you prep the eggplant_?"

" _Before I started studying again, while you were in the shower_."

" _So what are we making_?"

" _Ratatouille. Super easy and fast to make. Some other time, maybe we can cook something fancier_."

" _Alright. Tell me what to do._ " They worked surprisingly well together. Sebastian held up his end of the challenge and praised Kurt from time to time. It didn't take long and everything was in the pot simmering.

" _Let's go for a walk while it simmers for a bit_." Kurt followed Sebastian out the back of the house into an absolutely beautiful garden. Kurt stopped and just looked around.

" _This is amazing. My mom used to garden and we had beautiful flower beds, but no one kept them up after she died._ " A few tears escaped Kurt's eyes. " _I didn't realize how much I missed the flowers._ " Sebastian moved closer to Kurt and pulled him close and hugged him. He let go quickly as Kurt moved to wipe the escaping tears. Sebastian moved on through the garden and toward the gate at the back.

After leaving the garden, they walked around for about 30 minutes, just talking. Sebastian shared more about his childhood in France. All the talk about France made him homesick. He had missed spending time with his mom. Skype and texts were good, but spending time with someone in person was something he'd really missed. He was glad to finally feel close to someone again. He knew his mom would like Kurt too. And he was excited to go back for most of the summer.

" _So, what's on your must-do list for France_?"

" _Well, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, of course. Most importantly my grandparents. And anything you want to take me to see. You lived there for so long, surely you know the best places to go_."

Sebastian smiled.

" _I haven't told my grandparents yet. I'll tell them as soon as I'm certain I can get my Passport in time. I don't want to get their hopes up and then cancel._ "

" _That makes sense. Where do they live_?"

" _Charenton-le-Pont. My grandmother was a nurse at a hospital not far from there. And my grandfather taught at a nearby college._ "

" _Well, I'm not sure exactly where that is._ " He pulled out his phone and Kurt showed him on a map. " _Oh, that's not far outside Paris at all. It's near the zoo._ " Sebastian noticed the time. " _Let's go back. The ratatouille should be ready by the time we get back._ "

They walked back up to the house, continuing to talk. They washed up when they got inside. Sebastian turned the heat off and served the ratatouille in bowls while Kurt set the island up for them to eat on. They sat down on the bar stools. Sebastian waited for Kurt to take a bite first, watching him. " _What do you think_?"

" _I've tried making this myself once before, but yours is much better. It's also more fun to eat it with someone. My dad wouldn't try it. He's not a big vegetable fan. He's doing better since the heart attack, but he still balks at 'weird' food_."

Sebastian laughed. " _Ratatouille isn't weird._ "

" _Tell that to my redneck dad, who used to think that anything that wasn't a flannel button up was a dress shirt. He's had to change his sense of fashion since he spends so much time in DC. It's been strange to see him in a suit so often. When he started his election campaign last fall, I don't think I had seen him wear a suit in the last decade, except at his wedding to Carole._ "

They ate and talked and never seemed to run out things to talk about, but they eventually ate their fill and cleaned up. Sebastian left briefly while Kurt was washing dishes and came back a few minutes later. " _I just went to tell my dad that there was food if he wanted to come out and get some. He'll probably come out later._ " He packed the leftovers in bowls in the fridge. " _He can just heat up a bowl if he decides he wants it_."

Kurt was really starting to see just how lonely Sebastian had been all school year. Spending every weekend alone in a mansion is not as much fun as it sounds like it would be.

" _Have you had a lot of people from school over_?"

" _No. No one's ever been here. You're the first. I didn't really make much effort at first. I didn't want to be in Ohio. I didn't want to be at Dalton. And I most certainly didn't want to be at my dad's. Eventually, Jeff and Nick pushed their way through my walls and we've become friendly. Thad is in a lot of my classes and we've spent quite a bit of time together on projects and school stuff._ "

" _Jeff and Nick had the same effect on me. They were really the only two I spent any time with, except Blaine,_ " his voice trailed off a bit. He regained his composure. " _Well, I'm glad you invited me. I'm enjoying myself. You're a good cook. I hope we can try something a little more complicated in the future sometime. Speaking of more cooking, I have to make time this week to make red velvet cookies and snickerdoodles._ "

" _How do you have time for that_?"

" _I don't, but I owe Santana the cookies._ "

Sebastian looked confused. " _Why do you OWE her the cookies_?"

" _Week before last was the final exam for Government. After the exam, they have a research paper to spend the next couple of weeks on. Anyway, according to rumor, Puck fell asleep during the exam about ten minutes into it. No one woke him up. The bell woke him up at the end of the period. Obviously, he failed the exam completely. Government is a required course to graduate in Ohio. Puck works hard. He runs his own pool cleaning service and then he has to take care of his younger sister a lot of the time. His mom is not quite mother of the year material and his dad ran off years ago. So, my assumption was that he had another long night at home for some reason and he just crashed during the test. But whatever caused it, he wasn't going to get to graduate with us. He asked for a retake and the teacher agreed, since he had been doing decently before the test and the fact that he hadn't even filled in three quarters of the test corroborated whatever story he told the teacher. So, I bribed Santana, and Brittany by default, to make sure that Puck passed his retake yesterday. She aced the test so she knew what he needed to know to do well. I don't know HOW she did it, but Puck got a B on the retake with only one night's review from Santana. So, now I owe her cookies._ "

" _Wow. I'm back to 'You are amazing.'_ " Kurt blushed again. " _Didn't you say that Puck used to toss you in dumpsters_?" Kurt nodded.

" _Puck's not a bad guy. He did what he had to survive and made some wrong choices, but he's turned his life around. That's all we can hope for isn't it? That the assholes stop being so awful and become decent people? If we treat them badly when they're trying to change, that doesn't give them much incentive to keep working on their personal enlightenment._ " Sebastian just looked at him like he was an alien.

Kurt pulled his phone out to check on the time. " _I have to call Sam at 10:00, but we have time for a movie, if it's less than two hours long._ "

"Follow me, then." Sebastian led Kurt to a room with a huge TV and a plush couch with lots of pillows. Sebastian walked over to a shelf full of DVDs and grabbed one. " _My mom got me this for Christmas. I think you'll like it_." He put in _Les Bien-Aimés_ and sat down on the couch.

Kurt picked up the DVD case. " _I've never heard of it._ "

" _That's because it hasn't been released in the US yet._ "

Kurt smiled and propped up on some of the pillows and watched the movie. He enjoyed the movie. Sebastian seemed to enjoy watching Kurt watch the movie as much as watching the movie itself. He was finding that the more time he spent with Kurt, the more he liked spending time with him.

When the movie ended, Kurt stretched and sat up. " _I need to go call Sam. He was going to tell his parents about our plan this evening. I'm supposed to call and help answer any questions they might have since I'm the one that has been doing all of the research. I'm going to study some more after I finish talking to him. I really liked the movie. Thanks for sharing it with me. I'll see you in the morning._ " Kurt got up and went back upstairs to his room.

" _Good night, Kurt._ " Sebastian said as Kurt headed out of the room.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt turned his phone on, made sure there were no texts from his dad or Carole, then dialed Sam's number.

"Hey, Kurt."

"Hey, Sam. How did it go? Did you finish talking to your parents yet? Do they have any questions?"

"It went fine. They had a lot of questions, but I pulled up the websites for the schools and the apartment and showed them everything. They were impressed with the high school. The classes are a lot more like what was offered at the school I went to in Tennessee. I counted 14 different art classes, guitar lessons, and just a lot of really cool things."

"I was thinking this afternoon. Is this going to work with you not being able to send them money anymore? You're going to have to use the money you earn paying for expenses. There won't be money to send to them anymore."

"Yeah, we talked about that. My mom got a job not too long after Christmas. Someone went on maternity leave, so she thought it would be temporary, but the lady decided to quit rather than come back. So, my mom got hired on permanent. It's not full time, but it's enough to pay everything. They've been putting what I've sent them into savings in case something happened and they really needed it. So, they'll still have that back up. And my dad is still looking for a better job. Hopefully, he finds one eventually."

"So, then, everything's set? You can for sure go with me? And you're certain you want to, right? I don't want to pressure you. I can still choose to live in a dorm if you don't want to go with me."

"No, I mean yes I want to go. And no, I don't feel pressured. The opposite in fact. I feel like the pressure's off. I won't have to keep trying to pass the OGTs and repeating my senior year forever. Or live in Kentucky with my parents again. Ick. This place is worse than Lima."

"I'm SO excited. I have one thing to tell you and I hope you won't mind. I invited Nick, Jeff, Thad and Sebastian to go with us to Cedar Point. I haven't spent nearly as much time with Nick and Jeff as I would have liked. And Sebastian is friendly with Thad. You're not upset are you?"

"Of course, not. I remember Nick and Jeff, but not Thad. Nick and Jeff are cool and you say that Sebastian's cool now. So, it should be an adventure," he paused. "It'll be totally tubular, dude," Sam said in his best Raphael impression.

"Yeah, it'll be righteous."

"That was _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ , not _Finding Nemo_ ," Sam teased.

"Hey, give me a break. I tried," he laughed. "I'll see you tomorrow evening then. I'll turn my phone back on around 7:00 so I don't miss your call whenever you get close."

"Okay. See ya."

Kurt decided to skip any more studying and headed straight for the shower to get ready for bed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt didn't wake up until 9:00 the next morning. He looked at his phone and sat up quickly. He got up and went downstairs to get some coffee so he could get back to work. He walked downstairs. As he approached the bottom, the smell of cinnamon was wafting through the air. He followed the smell straight to the kitchen, where he found Sebastian in an apron and a lot of ingredients sitting out on the counter.

" _Mmm. It smells wonderful in here. What are you doing_?"

" _Well, last night you got me curious_."

" _Curious, how_?"

" _I'd never heard of red velvet cookies or snickerdoodles. And I got curious. I looked them up and they looked quite tasty. So, when you slept in, I decided to give it a go. I started with the snickerdoodles. The first batch is over there cooling. Please try one and let me know if they came out right._ "

Kurt walked over and grabbed a cookie off the plate and took a bite. " _Yeah, yeah,_ " he said with his mouth full of cookie. He swallowed. " _You did a really great job. So, if I help with the rest, can I take some to Santana and let her think I made them_?"

" _Are they good enough to pass off as yours? Don't you have some top secret ingredient to make them 'Kurt cookies'_?"

" _Well, if I tell you then it won't be top secret anymore. Turn around." Kurt looked at the recipe that Sebastian had printed out. He adjusted the spices a bit in the bowl with the batter in it. "Okay. You can turn back around._ " They worked together to put the rest of the batter on cookie trays. They washed up the bowls and utensils.

" _I found a red velvet cookie recipe too. Is this like yours_?" Kurt looked at it.

" _That's exactly the one I use. Do you have the ingredients to make these too_?"

" _Yes. Everything is in the pantry. Go on in there and collect anything else we need while I wipe down the counters._ "

They worked together for the next hour and finished up all of the cookies and cleaned up behind themselves. They sat down at the island with glasses of milk and the plates of cookies, waiting for the last batch to be done.

" _Well, cookies and milk for breakfast. It's like we're six,_ " Kurt laughed.

" _Hey, it can't be any worse for us than the cereal we ate yesterday morning. It's not like we chose to eat Raisin Bran with no sugar on it._ "

" _True, true. Thanks for this. It was fun and it saves me a lot of time having to do it all myself at some point in time tomorrow._ "

" _No need to thank me. It was fun. But you're welcome_."

The timer went off and Sebastian pulled the last batch out of the oven to let them cool. He took a few of each type and put them on a small plate and took them to his dad's room while Kurt finished up by sliding the cookies onto a waiting plate and washing the last cookie sheet.

Sebastian returned promptly empty handed. " _I see that the cookies were a hit._ "

" _Yeah. My dad has a big sweet tooth. He loves it when I make desserts,_ " Sebastian said smiling. " _So, what's on the agenda for today_?"

" _Art History. We could try to study together and see if we actually make any progress. If it turns out not to work, we can split back up and work alone._ "

" _Okay. Let's give it a try. I have review cards. Do you have the practice test for it_?"

" _Yes._ "

" _Let's go grab it and I'll photocopy it so we can take it at the same time_."

They went upstairs and Kurt handed the booklet to Sebastian.

" _Where do you want to study_?"

" _How about back downstairs on the big fluffy couch where we watched the movie last night_?"

" _Okay. I'll go photocopy this and meet you down there with my review cards in a few minutes._ "

They found that they did work well together and after four hours, they had reviewed, taken the practice tests and graded them.

" _I think we're set. Wanna go swim for a while? We can warm up the ratatouille and eat it for lunch, if that's okay with you._ "

" _Sure. I'll go change and meet you in the kitchen._ "

After they ate and swam for a while, Sebastian suggested that they go back out in the garden for a while. He and Kurt sat on a wooden swing just looking at the flowers and staring off into space for a while, wrapped up in their own thoughts.

" _Let's ask each other questions. It's okay to pass if you don't really want to answer something though._ "

" _Um, okay. You first._ "

" _What's your favorite color_?"

They went back and forth with simple questions for over an hour. They learned a lot about each other in a short period of time. Then it broke down when Sebastian asked Kurt if he was ticklish and Kurt did a bad job of lying saying that he wasn't. Kurt jumped off the swing and started to run. Sebastian was just enough taller and faster that he managed to catch Kurt pretty quickly. He grabbed him and spun him around. " _No fair, no lying. I won't tickle you because clearly you don't want me to. But from now on, no lying._ "

Kurt was out of breath, but he agreed, " _Fine, no lying. I thought you would tickle me if I said yes. I didn't lie about anything else._ "

" _Okay. I believe you._ " Sebastian put him down. " _Let's go get a drink._ "

They went back inside and sat in the kitchen with their drinks. Kurt looked at the clock and saw the time. " _Hey, let's go get dressed and go out for ice cream or something. Sam will be calling in couple of hours. We can just hang out until he calls._ "

" _Sounds fun. I know the best place for ice cream. You don't want some low-fat, low-carb stuff do you_?"

" _Usually yes, but today, I'm feeling like having real, honest-to-goodness ice cream._ "

" _Go get ready. We'll put your stuff in the car and head out._ "

Thirty minutes later, they were ready and heading out the door with Kurt's bags. Kurt coiffed his hair and had opted for his typical attire, rather than go out in the casual clothes he had been wearing earlier. Sebastian was wearing basketball shorts and a solid t-shirt. They drove to a café not too far from his house. They sat at the counter. Kurt was surprised by the enormous selection of ice cream flavors.

" _They make it all here, in the back. It's the best._ "

" _What's your favorite_?"

" _I haven't decided yet. Every time I come I order something new just to have fun. I haven't had any yet that I didn't like._ "

" _Well, you're no help,_ " Kurt laughed.

" _Play along. Don't say anything in English to me._ " Kurt looked at him inquisitively.

" _What kind do you want_?"

Kurt answered him in French.

The waitress, who was most likely a high school student, came over to them. "What can I get you gentleman today?"

"He'll have a scoop of chocolate chip and a scoop of strawberry. And I'll have butter pecan and chocolate chocolate chunk."

"Alrighty. I'll be right back with those."

" _Just keep speaking French_."

" _Okay._ "

They kept talking until the waitress brought their ice cream. She placed their bowls in front of them. Sebastian responded with "Thank you," while Kurt said, "Merci."

The waitress paused and asked, "Where's your friend from?"

"Oh, he's my cousin. He's from France."

"That's cool. I've never met anyone from France before. Is he staying long?"

"Not much longer."

"Oh, that's too bad." And she walked off.

" _What was that about_?"

" _It was about preconceived ideas. You talk about how the people here don't accept your 'eccentric' way of dressing and they all consider you to be too feminine, but the waitress clearly found you attractive when she thought you were French. It's okay for foreigners to behave and dress differently than people in our own culture. So, the culture around here tells you that you aren't enough. But you are. They are the ones with the wrong set of rules about what's masculine or attractive and what isn't. Your inherent attractiveness didn't change. You are you. But 'French' you is attractive enough to get a girl to flirt with you, but regular you is too gay. It's all about perception._ "

The waitress moved back towards them. "Here's your ticket. If your cousin decides to stick around, my number's on the bottom," she said with a smile as she slipped a small piece of paper towards them. She winked at Kurt before she turned and walked away.

Kurt was caught up in his thoughts while he finished his ice cream. Sebastian grabbed the bill and moved to the cash register. Kurt followed behind him. The same waitress came over to the register to ring them up.

"Bye, boys." She winked at Kurt again.

" _Well that was an unusual turn of events. I've never had a girl blatantly flirt with me like that, ever_."

" _Well, you'll get used to it. The way you look and dress will not turn the Parisian girls off at all._ " And Sebastian winked at him and laughed. Sebastian drove to a nearby park and they got out and took a walk. After Sam called, they walked back to the car and headed to the McDonald's parking lot.

They pulled up next to the Navigator. Kurt and Sebastian put the bags and the box of cookies in the bag seat. Kurt shut the door and turned and Sebastian was still standing right behind him. Sebastian reached out and hugged him. " _I had a great time. We're still on for subs at lunch tomorrow, right_?"

" _Yes, of course. I had a good time, too. See you tomorrow._ "

Sebastian got back in his car and drove off.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt went around to the driver's side. "Hop out. I'll drive from here and give you a break."

Sam climbed into the passenger seat and looked at Kurt. "So what's with all the hugging?"

"Well, it turns out that Sebastian is as much of a hugger as you. He was obviously just suppressing it during his 'jackass' act."

"Interesting."

"Definitely. He's absolutely nothing like I thought he was, well other than fact that he's sarcastic, but in a funny way, not mean. I had a really nice time. Tell me all about your weekend."

Sam described his whole weekend to Kurt as they drove back home. "Oh, and Stacey says to tell you that now she's a proper princess and to thank you for the scepter and crown. And Stevie loved the Transformers cartoons. My mom's only going to let him watch one episode per day. So, it will give him something to look forward to for quite a while."

"Good, I'm glad they liked the stuff. We're your parents able to see your artwork on that DVD?"

"I had forgotten that they didn't have a DVD player, but I went to WalMart early yesterday morning and bought a cheap one so they could see the photos on the DVD and Stevie would be able to watch those Transformers cartoons. Now, they'll be able to check out DVDs at the library again too. So, Stacey will be able to get her fill of Disney movies."

It didn't take them too long to get home and haul all of their stuff inside and upstairs. They greeted everyone and headed off to their rooms for the night. Kurt went to bed early because he had to leave at 6:00 to get to Dalton in time for his first exam in the morning.


	5. Chapter 5

The buzzing of Kurt's alarm clock came much too early for his liking. 5:00 was just too early to get up. It was still dark outside, but he had no choice but to get up and get moving. He had to leave by 6:00 to ensure that he arrived in time to take his Calculus AP exam. He donned his Dalton uniform from the previous year and headed to the kitchen for a much needed cup of coffee. He brewed enough to fill his large mug and his travel thermos. He grabbed a muffin to eat now, and reminded himself to thank Carole later for having those ready for him. He threw some cereal bars and health bars from the cabinet into his satchel to eat later.

He spent the drive listening to music he enjoyed and sang along to help him stay awake on the drive. He arrived with plenty of time to spare. He stopped by the office and signed himself in and made his way to the room where the exam would be given. He showed his ID and forms to the teacher at the door and chose a seat in the front row. That way, he'd have fewer distractions during the test. He saw a few people he knew from the previous year come in and sit down.

Sometimes, he wished he had been able to stay at Dalton because it was really nice to be in classes with students who cared about learning and teachers who enjoyed what they did. But he knew that he had made the right financial choice to go back to McKinley. It took a lot of work on his part to learn all of the material on his own, but it made him learn to be more self-reliant and saved his family thousands of dollars.

The teacher entered the room and stood at the front giving the instructions for the test. He had heard them before, but listened carefully anyway. The tests were distributed and the timer started. He worked through all of the problems that he was certain that he knew how to do first, carefully marking the answers. He went back through and worked through all of the rest of the problems until he had completed them all. He reworked the hardest ones a second time to double-check his answers. Before he had time to redo all of the hardest ones, time was up. He turned in his answer sheet and the test booklet and left the room. He exited the building and drove to the sub shop to meet Sebastian.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian was already waiting inside when Kurt arrived. He did a double take and laughed. "Kurt Hummel in a Dalton Blazer. Now, there's a surprise."

"Well, it was part of the agreement. So, I kept up my end of the deal. Dalton has been very generous to help me with all of the AP stuff this year, and last."

"Let's order before we run out of time to eat."

Kurt and Sebastian ordered and decided to take their food back to the West Garden to eat since it was such a nice day outside. They sat on the same bench where they had met the previous week. So much had gone on since then that it felt like it had been a lot longer than five days since they had been there.

" _Are you ready for the Psych test_?" Kurt asked.

" _I'm ready enough to know that I don't want to be a psychologist. How about you_?"

" _Yeah, I'm pretty set on the musician idea. But I suppose that psychology could possibly come in handy when trying to figure out motive for a role or something. Plus, if I do well on the exam, I'll get credit for it and never have to take it again._ "

" _Now, there's motivation_ ," he laughed.

" _So, I'll be back tomorrow morning for the Art History test. Do you have afternoon classes tomorrow or are you free_?"

" _Well, I have one class, but I bet I could get out of it. I can turn my assignment in early and ask to be excused to have time to study for my other AP exams_."

" _We could go eat at a place that serves something besides sandwiches after the Art History test. I still have to be back at school by 2:00 for Glee rehearsal, but I could stick around for a while._ "

" _Okay. Do you have something in mind? I honestly haven't explored much_."

" _There's this place about four blocks off campus that serves really great homemade soups and fresh salads. We could walk there after the exam._ "

" _Sounds good._ "

" _I won't be here for my lesson this Wednesday because I'll be on a bus on my way to Chicago, trying to remain sane. But how about we try to get Jeff, Nick, and Thad to go out next Wednesday. I'll bring Sam. Maybe we could all go bowling? Something so that Thad can meet Sam and we can all get to know each other better before we spend four hours cooped up the Navigator the following week._ "

"Bowling, huh? Can you think of anything more redneck?" Sebastian asked sarcastically in English with his best hick twang.

"Oh sure. We could all go cow tipping, but I definitely recommend steel-toed boots for that."

" _Suddenly, bowling seems quite refined_ ," he laughed.

" _That's what I thought,_ " Kurt smiled and made a motion to tip his invisible top hat to Sebastian."

" _Why don't you text Thad and I'll text Nick and Jeff and let's see if they can meet us in your room at 3:30. That way we can talk about bowling and choose something else as a group if they don't want to go bowling._ "

Kurt and Sebastian texted the others while they walked toward the building and their phones buzzed at almost the same time. " _Thad will be there._ "

" _Nick and Jeff will be too. Wait for me in the hall after the test so I can go with you. I don't have a keycard to get in the dorm building._ "

They paused as they entered the building to drop throw their trash out and then they headed to the testing classroom.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt took the same seat that he had during the first test. Sebastian looked for an empty spot and sat down. They sat through the directions. They spent the next three hours answering question after question as quickly as they could. After finishing, Kurt and Sebastian met up in the hallway.

Sebastian suggested that they stop to get a drink on the way to his room. They entered the cafeteria. Kurt didn't have a meal plan card, but Sebastian went through the line and picked up two iced coffees and two bottles of juice. He handed one of each to Kurt on the way to his room. They downed the juice quickly and Kurt offered him his choices of cereal or health bar. They ate the bars and drank the coffee on the way up to Sebastian's room.

Sebastian opened the door. Jeff moved from leaning against the wall and walked toward Kurt and put his hand up for a high five. "It's been WAY too long since I've seen you."

"It's good to see you too, Jeff. Hey, Nick."

"So, how'd the tests go?" Nick asked.

"My brain is fried. My hope is that I did really well and that I never have to take another math or psychology class."

"I think it went okay." was Sebastian's response.

Thad walked in and took a seat on Sebastian's bed. "So, why were we summoned to your room?"

"Well, it was my idea," Kurt said. "I wanted to see if you all are available next Wednesday evening. I was thinking of bringing Sam with me and that we could all six go do something together to get to know each other a little better before we go to Cedar Point week after next."

"Ooh, that sounds fun," Jeff said. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I suggested bowling, but Sebastian thought it sounded a little too redneck, but when my second suggestion was cow tipping, he liked my first idea a lot better." Kurt smiled at Sebastian.

"Well, bowling sounds okay to me," Thad said. Nick nodded his head in agreement.

"Okay. I'll park in the visitor's lot by the big oak tree and pick everyone up at 5:00. The bowling alley has decent pizza or we can go somewhere else afterwards, if no one wants pizza. We can decide that later. I have head back to Lima now because our family dinner got moved to tonight because none of us will be home on Friday. It was great seeing everyone." Kurt turned to walk out the door.

Sebastian stood up from his desk chair. The other three got up to leave as well.

"I'll walk you out," Sebastian said. The two of them left together.

" _None of them seemed surprised that Blaine wasn't included in these get-togethers, so I have to assume that word has made its way around that we broke up. People aren't saying that I cheated on him are they_?"

" _Not that I've heard and if I hear anyone say that, I'll put an end to it_."

" _Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow_." Kurt turned to open his car door. Then, teased Sebastian, " _What no hug_?"

Sebastian grinned at him. " _Fine, fine. Come here you_." And pulled Kurt into a quick hug. " _See you tomorrow._ "

Kurt climbed in, waved at Sebastian as he drove off, and headed back to Lima.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt arrived just in time to help set the table. "Dinner time!" Carole yelled out to corral the two missing teens. Not long afterward, two sets of stampeding feet could be heard - one traveling up the basement stairs and one traveling down from the bedrooms. They made it to the table at the same time.

"Ooh, macaroni and cheese and ham!" exclaimed Finn, as he reached for the casserole dish and served himself a huge portion and passed the bowl around the table. All of the serving bowls were passed around and everyone took what they wanted and started to eat. "This is great, Mom."

Burt spoke up, "I know the three of you will be heading out to Nationals in a couple of days. I just want to make sure that there's nothing that you need before you go. Everyone turned in all the paperwork already, right?" The boys all nodded. "I also wanted to make sure that Sam and Finn know that Kurt has opted to pay for his own room in Chicago. Please help keep any fussing about this down in the group. He's 18 and he booked and paid for the room himself. This will cut down on the stress of him having to spend so much time with Blaine and it will free up a space in the boys' room giving more room to everyone else." Finn and Sam nodded in understanding.

"We have put $50 in envelopes for each of you as back up for your trip to Chicago. Planning goes a long way, but sometimes there are surprises. I'd rather you have the ability to pay for a cab if you get separated from your group somehow than to have you stranded." Burt passed the envelopes around the table.

"Wow, thanks, Dad."

"Yeah, thanks, Burt," Finn and Sam said.

Burt spoke again. "Carole will drive the three of you to school Wednesday morning so that the Navigator and Finn's truck won't be sitting up in the school's parking lot until Sunday, just begging to be messed with." He continued. "We won't be playing games or watching a movie this evening because I know all of you have extra work that you have to get turned in by Wednesday before you leave for Chicago."

Carole added, "Don't forget that you'll need clean clothes in Chicago, Finn. Be sure to get your laundry done tonight."

"Got it," Finn said. "Thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot."

"Okay, well you are all free to go and get busy on all the things you need to get done in the next couple of days and if I don't see all of you again before you leave, good luck."

Kurt, Sam and Finn got up from the table and cleared their own areas. Carole had graciously offered to do the dishes because she knew the boys, especially Kurt, had a ton of things to get done.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt stopped by Sam's room. "Did you give the cookies to Santana?"

"Yep. She squealed and snatched them from me and didn't share at all."

"That's not surprising. Thanks for taking them in for me."

"No problemo."

"Are you working next Wednesday evening?"

"Nope. I got Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. And I took two extra shifts on Saturday and the Sunday morning shift as well. We were right when we were thinking about people wanting a lot of time off that week. I definitely can use all of the hours considering the hours I lost the last two weekends and this being gone most of this week. I'm working tomorrow evening. I'm going to have to try to beat Finn down to the laundry room or I won't have enough clean clothes to pack for Chicago. I'll be back up in an hour and a half or so. I'm just going to study down there while I wait for my clothes." He started to grab his laundry basket to leave. "Wait. Why did you ask me about next Wednesday?"

"Oh yeah. I want you to come with me to Westerville after school. After my voice lesson, Thad, Sebastian, Nick, Jeff, you and I are going to go bowling. That is, if you want to come with me. I thought it would be nice for us to get to know each other a little better before we spend the day together at Cedar Point."

"Well, you know I love bowling. Count me in."

"Excellent. Now, run for it before Finn beats you to the washer." Kurt mock pushed him out of the room.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt had packing built into the master schedule that he had created a few weeks back so all of his clothes for the trip had been hanging in his closet slightly away from the rest of his clothes to remind him not to wear any of them. He was able to get everything packed quickly. He knew that he wouldn't be spending a lot of time running around Chicago like he had done when they went to New York, so he wasn't taking very many fancy outfits. He packed up his study guides and books and the clothes he had already chosen, along with his travel toiletries and went through his packing list again to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He closed up the suitcase and his small duffel with his books in it and stacked them under his window.

He went to his desk and got out his assignments list for all of the things that would be due while they were gone and the first two days they returned. He sorted through everything and checked off each item as he put it in a folder. He was really looking forward to the semester ending. With everything packed in the folder, his desk looked empty for the first time in ages. He could finally see the end of the madness. High school was almost over. He put the folder with all of his assignments in his satchel because he had to turn everything in tomorrow as soon as he got back from Westerville.

Westerville. Art History AP exam. He had to leave at 6:00 again tomorrow morning. He decided to shower and get ready for bed before settling down for one more Art History review before going to sleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Morning came too quickly for the second day in a row. Kurt really hated getting up when it was still dark outside. It didn't feel like morning at all. He put his uniform back on, grabbed his satchel, and made his way down to the kitchen. He was startled to find his dad in the kitchen. "Hey, Dad. You surprised me. What are you doing up so early?"

There was a small safe sitting on the table next to Burt, along with a large mug of coffee, Kurt's thermos and a muffin. Burt pushed the food and coffee toward Kurt. "Thanks, Dad."

He turned the small safe toward Kurt. "I wanted to make sure that you had all of these things. I was going to wait to give this to you until you graduated, but I was thinking about it when you told me that you were going to go to France with Sebastian. "You'll need the stuff in here to travel."

Kurt opened the safe to find his birth certificate, social security card, his voter's registration card, several other documents, a sealed envelope, and surprisingly a Passport.

"I have a Passport? And what's in the envelope?"

"Yes to the first question. Remember when we did all those things the week after your 18th birthday last year? We went to the license branch because your license needed renewed, you registered to vote and I had photos taken. I paid for Passport photos too. I sent in all the documents in and got a Passport for you that week."

"Oh my God, Dad! Thank you. I had made an appointment at the Passport office in Chicago to get an expedited Passport and it was going to cost a lot extra to get one in time for me to go. This will save me time and money. Thank you!"

"You're welcome. And to answer the question about the envelope, I don't know. Your mom put something in the envelope and sealed it shut and all she said was that she was planning on giving it to you for your graduation."

"Wow. It's a mystery. Sounds like fun. I've been so bogged down by all the studying for these crazy exams and prepping to go to Chicago that it keeps slipping from my mind that I'm going to get to go to France. It's been a dream for so long, it just hasn't made it to the 'reality' part of my mind yet. It's going to be amazing."

Burt just smiled at him. "I'm so glad you're finally getting to go. Every time I thought I might be able to save up enough to send you, something else would come up. I hope it turns out to be all you've dreamed of. Take this mini safe up to your room. It's yours to keep. We have one for Finn and for Sam too, not with Passports in them, but for them to have to keep their important documents in since you're all graduating, or at least moving out in Sam's case."

Kurt hugged Burt, grabbed the safe and took it up and put it on the shelf in his closet. He rushed back downstairs. "Thanks again, Dad. I've have to go or I'm going to be late for my exam."

"Good luck, kiddo."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt ate while he drove. He put his Bluetooth headset on and dialed his grandparents while he was at a red light. " _Grandma? Yes, it's Kurt. I have the BEST news ever. Well, lots of good news actually. I got into several universities, but one offered me a full scholarship. Yes, I'm going to study music. It's in Connecticut. But the best news is that I'm going to be coming to France. Yes! I leave the 27th. I don't have any details yet about when I can come visit. But I will definitely be visiting. I'm so excited. I'll call you again later. I'm driving, so I can't stay on the phone long, but I wanted to tell you as soon as I could. Talk to you soon!"_

Kurt arrived at Dalton and found that Sebastian was waiting for him near the entrance to the main building. " _What's got you so smiley this early on a Tuesday_?" Sebastian asked.

Kurt surprised Sebastian by quickly hugging him. " _Well, you - in a round about way_." Kurt stepped back from the hug. " _I told my grandma this morning. She's so excited. I couldn't talk to her for very long because I was driving. But guess what? I HAVE a Passport. My dad got it for me last year when I turned 18. He was up this morning waiting for me with a mini safe full of my legal documents, an early graduation gift. I can cancel that appointment in Chicago. That's a weight off my shoulders. I was so afraid that I'd go through everything and then the Passport still wouldn't be back in time for me to go with you._ "

" _Fantastic._ "

" _I know. I think I've been squelching my enthusiasm because it didn't feel real yet because I didn't have a Passport in hand. But now, after seeing my Passport and telling my grandma, it finally feels real_."

" _Let's go in. You need to sign in, right_?" Kurt nodded. They walked toward the office. Sebastian waited and when Kurt came out, they went to the classroom where the exam was being given. " _Art History. You ready_?"

" _I think so. I hope so, since this is it. Meet me in the hall afterward and we'll go eat._ "

They took seats, listened to the directions yet again, waited for the timer to start and spent the next three hours recalling as much as they possibly could about artwork and artists. The timer buzzed. The turned in their tests and booklets and moved to the hall.

" _Well, that was easier than the psychology test._ "

" _I agree._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt pulled the door open and Sebastian walked through. The process reversed through the outer door. " _So, lead the way to the tasty soups and salads_." Sebastian said and began walking next to Kurt. It was a quick walk, just as Kurt had said.

They waited to be seated. Sebastian opened his menu. " _I don't think I've ever seen so many different soups before._ Chili, minestrone, gumbo, slow-roasted pork stew. _I've never heard of half of these_."

" _That's the fun in it, isn't it? You've said you're not picky. Just try something. I've never had anything that I didn't like here._ "

" _Alright._ "

The waitress approached and took their drink orders. When she came back with them she took their food orders.

"I'll have a bowl of the leek soup with shoestring potatoes and fried herbs and the small Greek salad." Kurt said.

Sebastian said, "I'll try a bowl of the lemongrass shrimp soup with spaghetti squash and a small salad niçoise."

"I'll get those right out," she said.

" _Well, this place sure is a surprise. Too bad I didn't know about this earlier, I could have had a lot more interesting food this past year._ "

" _Well, better late than never. You can come a few more times before graduation._ "

" _Ooh, that's an idea. The Warblers are planning to go out as a group as a going away dinner for the seniors. I'm going to suggest this place. They offer so many different things, there's got to be something everyone would like and it's a lot better than going out for pizza again._ "

The waitress returned and placed their food on the table.

" _I hadn't even really thought about graduation dinners or parties. I've spent so much time studying and packing I hadn't even begun to think about planning a party. Plus, with all the drama, I'm not sure I even want to plan or even attend anything. I'm honestly just ready to move on past the high school drama._ "

" _From the stories I've heard about the New Directions, I can't say that I blame you._ " He paused after taking a bite. " _This is really good._ "

Kurt smiled and added, " _So is mine._ "

" _The Warblers party is going to be this Sunday or I'd invite you to come celebrate with us. You won't be back from Chicago yet though_."

" _That's okay. I'm not sure that I'd be all that welcome anyway. As I said, I was really only friends with Nick and Jeff. I think most of the rest of them just saw me as the weird public school kid who didn't understand how to blend in._ "

" _Well, blending in is overrated anyway._ "

"Why blend in when you were born to stand out?" Kurt remarked sarcastically. " _Dr. Seuss was clearly not a good Dalton boy, encouraging individualism like that._ "

Sebastian laughed. They turned their attention to their food, knowing that Kurt still had to make it back to McKinley by 2:00. They finished up, paid and left.

" _Okay, you win the 'best place for lunch' award,_ " Sebastian said as they headed back toward Dalton.

" _Why thank you. I didn't know there were awards being given out, but I'll take any accolades I can get_ ," Kurt bowed graciously and laughed. They walked directly to Kurt's Navigator. " _If you like the place so much, we could go there again next week. I have to come back for two more exams next Monday and Tuesday. I'll text you later because I have to get moving or I'll get yelled at for being late, despite the fact that I'm only singing in one song._ "

Sebastian gave him a quick hug and he climbed into the truck and headed back to McKinley.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt was halfway to Lima before he realized that he had forgotten to change out of his uniform. He looked at the time. He'd be cutting it close, but he was going to swing home and change really quickly. He just couldn't bring himself to change in a fast food restaurant bathroom and there was no way he could show up at McKinley in his Dalton uniform.

On the rest of the drive, he went through the list of things that he still needed to do to move to Connecticut. His days had been so jam packed with prepping for his exams, his trip to Chicago and his move to Connecticut, that he hadn't really had any down time in so many weeks that he felt like he was forgetting to do something important. He realized that he had gotten so excited that Sam had agreed to go with him that he had forgotten that he had to send in the signed lease agreement by the 15th or they'd lose the apartment. The 15th wasn't for another week, but they'd be gone most of that time. Once he had the apartment secured, he could get the electricity turn-on scheduled. He needed to send in the deposit with the signed lease. He was going to have to run out to the bank after Glee that afternoon to get a bank check to send in with the signed lease.

He parked, grabbed the bag with his change of clothes in it, ran in the house, ran up the stairs, changed in his closet, hanging the jacket quickly and leaving the rest on the floor to deal with later. He shut the closet behind him, grabbed the lease off of his desk, hurried right back out to the Navigator, stuck the lease in his satchel, and set off for the school.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

He could hear the final period bell ringing as he approached the school. Just in time. He went straight to the choir room and dropped into a chair in the back row, exhausted. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. A few minutes later, he felt Sam's presence next to him, but he left Kurt to his catnap. The second bell rang and Mr. Schue started calling for quiet. People were still moving around, but they grabbed seats quickly. Puck plopped down on the other side of Kurt.

"Alright, everyone. Listen up. We're leaving tomorrow after school. Everyone needs to bring their stuff with them to school in the morning. There will be NO time for anyone to run home after school. It's about a 5-hour drive. We will drive straight through and eat dinner after we get there. So, everyone needs to be prepared to stay on the bus for the entire five hours."

Santana interrupted, "For those of you not getting the point - go to the bathroom before you get on the bus." Several people laughed.

"Yes. Now, we have three hotel rooms, one for the Cheerio girls, one for the New Directions girls and one for the guys. I've requested two roll-aways for each room. Some of you will have to share the double beds in the rooms."

Rachel stood and moved to stand next to Mr. Schuester. "I have sign up sheets on the piano for the different options for sight-seeing on Thursday. We'll spend the morning and afternoon out and then meet back together for dinner."

"Thank you, Rachel. After dinner, we'll have a vocals only rehearsal. Thursday we'll be able to access a banquet room where we'll have more room to rehearse. Then we have 30 minutes to use the stage for a dress rehearsal Thursday at 4:30. This is the only time we get to use the stage, so no excuses for not being in the lobby by 4:00 to ride over to the auditorium."

Rachel started again. "When you come up to choose your activities for Thursday, please take a copy of our trip schedule. I want everyone to be know when to be where."

"Okay. I know that everyone's permission slips and emergency contact papers have been turned in. The New Directions funding is covering some of dinner meals, but keep in mind that each person will have a limit on the cost that the funds will cover. If you order more than the allotted amount, you'll have to cover the difference yourself. You're on your own for lunch each day. The hotel I chose has a hot breakfast bar. I suggest you fill up at breakfast."

Rachel spoke again, "There are three choices for Thursday. Sports, shopping or museums."

"Everyone needs to line up and come up here to sign up for activities and pick up the handouts, then move to the auditorium. We're going to run through all of our pieces once before the period ends." Mr. Shue headed out the door.

Puck nudged Kurt, who turned to look at him with a confused look on his face. "I figured out that it was you who put Santana up to helping me with that Government final. Thanks, dude. I was a real jackass to you for all those years. I'm sorry about that. I don't think I ever actually told you that I'm sorry, but I am. You're a cool dude." Puck got up and got in line. Kurt sat there slightly stunned.

"Kurt, earth to Kurt. Hey, get up. We gotta go sign up." Sam poked Kurt in the ribs.

"Hey! You know the 'no tickling' rule, Sam." He jerked back.

"I was just trying to get your attention. You were zoned out."

"Puck just apologized to me."

"What? Really? That's, well, unexpected."

"Yeah, it totally was." They waited until everyone else had left the room. They weren't in the first two songs anyway.

"So, sports, museums or shopping," Sam repeated as he looked through the specific itinerary on each of the three pages.

"I'm going to the Aquarium and the Field Museum," Kurt said.

"Really? That's what I wanted to do, but the page is blank. I didn't think I'd get to go since no else had signed up. It looks like Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury are the chaperones, but I think they'll leave us alone so they can spend time with each other."

"Me too."

Kurt added his name and Sam's to the museum list as Miss Pillsbury entered the room. She picked up the sheets and looked them over. "Oh, good. You boys have signed up for the museums. I was hoping that at least a few of you would want to go."

Kurt and Sam smiled at her and nodded. They moved to grab their bags and hurried off to the auditorium. On their way down the hall, Kurt noticed the Prom posters and there it was: Jeremy and Quinn for King and Queen. "Well, good," he thought. "That's one disaster averted."

They entered the auditorium from the back. Kurt took a seat behind Quinn and leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Your posters look great. I'm going to vote for you." She turned and smiled.

Kurt got up and moved to go sit next to Sam, who was playing _Angry Birds_ or something on his phone. Kurt turned his phone on to find way too many texts that he didn't have any interest in reading, so he just deleted them. He saw an email from his grandmother. He'd wait to open that until he checked through his voicemail. He slipped out of the auditorium into the hall and went through his voicemails as quickly as possible, deleting them upon the first word spoken if it wasn't a family member calling.

After ten minutes he still hadn't gotten through all of them, but his phone actually rang. It was Sam. "Get in here. Schue's looking for you."

Kurt moved quickly, opened the door, slipped in and yelled "Coming!" and moved quickly to the stage, stuffing his phone in his pocket as he hurried down the aisle.

They went through their group number from beginning to end twice and then they were dismissed with a final reminder from Mr. Schue. "Bring your stuff with you to school. Be here early to load your suitcases on the bus before first period. Don't forget!"

Kurt and Sam went to their lockers before heading out of the building. They walked to the Navigator in silence.

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As soon as they were in the Navigator, Sam asked, "How did your test go?"

"It was easier than the two I took yesterday, that's for sure. Art History is a lot easier for me than Calculus and Psychology."

"I almost forgot that you needed to sign the lease. He pulled it out of his satchel. I had to wait until you were 18 or it wouldn't be legal, then I got so busy, I nearly forgot. I'm so glad that everything is going to calm down next week. Sign and date the form here," Kurt said as he pointed to the form. "I'm going to the bank and post office now. Let's get some tacos as a celebration.

Kurt drove directly to the bank and went in and got a bank check to send in with their signed lease agreement. Fortunately, the bank was not busy and it didn't take long.

He drove to the post office and Sam got out as well this time. "Triple Play soft tacos for you, like usual?" Sam asked.

Kurt smiled and nodded.

Sam took off toward the taco place down the street.

Kurt had to wait in line at the post office. He sent the envelope certified mail because he wanted to be able to know for certain that the lease and check made it to Connecticut. By the time he was done, Sam was back and waiting for him in the truck. Kurt hopped in.

"It's done," he declared with a sense of finality.

"Congratulations! Today is our day. We're off to great places. We're off and away."

Kurt laughed. Then he asked, "Are you packed yet?"

"Not quite. I got my laundry done last night, but I still need to actually get everything put in a suitcase. Problem is that I don't really have a suitcase."

"Well, when we get home, I'll go get a suitcase and bring it to your room. Carole didn't go to DC this afternoon with Dad. You can take her suitcase."

"Great. Thanks!" They pulled into the driveway and Sam headed upstairs while Kurt went downstairs to find Carole's suitcase, but he came back up empty handed.

"Carole?" he called out. No response. He pulled out his phone and texted her. Carole texted Kurt back with the location of her suitcase and told Kurt that she was at the grocery store and would be back soon. Kurt took went into his parent's room and saw the suitcase on the floor near their closet. He grabbed it and went to Sam's room.

"Here's the suitcase. Carole's at the store."

"Thanks. All my stuff is on the bed, ready to go in it." He started moving the clothes into the suitcase. "Hopefully, Carole's grabbing some more cereal bars. I was going to take some, but I couldn't find any this morning."

"Oh, that would be my fault. I took several with me the last couple of days to have in case I got hungry. I bet Finn grabbed the rest. I'll text her really quick and see if she's still at the store." Kurt caught her in time. "She said she'd buy three different kinds and we can split them up to take with us to Chicago."

"So are you all packed?"

"Yes. I finished last night. Once Carole gets home, we can put our suitcases in her trunk so we won't have to rush in the morning. Do you have all of your assignments for this week finished yet or do you still have to work on those?"

"I did manage to get them done, which is good because I managed to snag a shift tonight starting in an hour. I didn't really want to do it, but I couldn't pass up the money. I know it's unexpected, but is it okay if I take the Nav?"

"Yes, of course. I'm not going anywhere tonight. And with it gone, I can hide in my room and it will look like I'm not home when Rachel inevitably shows up to help Finn pack in a couple of hours." Sam just rolled his eyes and laughed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Carole got back about 20 minutes later. Kurt and Sam went to unload the groceries for her when they heard the telltale noise of the garage door going up. After their last trip in, they ran upstairs, grabbed their suitcases and loaded them into the trunk of her car.

Sam ran out of the house to make it to work on time and Kurt moved to the kitchen to help Carole put all of the groceries away.

"Small haul this time," Kurt said.

"Well, with all three of you boys being gone from Wednesday to Sunday, it will mostly just be me here at home."

"Any big plans for your week?"

"Actually, my 25th high school reunion is Friday evening in Columbus."

"Wow. Are you excited?"

"Nervous mostly, but kind of excited. I haven't really seen most of them in years. Your dad is waiting to fly in until Friday this week so I don't have to drive Thursday and again Friday. We're going to stay overnight and come back Saturday evening."

"Sounds like fun. I hope you guys have a good time."

"Thanks, honey."

Kurt heard Finn's truck. "Gotta run. Don't tell them I'm here." Kurt vanished up the stairs into his room.

Carole laughed as she heard his bedroom door shut.

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Finn and Rachel came in the door just moments later. Rachel was going on and on about how Chicago was going to be her chance to prove to Madame Tibideaux that she belonged at NYADA. They went upstairs for Rachel to help Finn pack. Kurt heard her disgust when Finn opened his bedroom door. "Ugh, Finn. It's a wreck in here. Did you even wash your clothes?" Fortunately, they closed the door and Kurt couldn't hear her anymore.

Kurt lay on his bed and just started thinking through the last few week's events. The break up – that had been almost two weeks ago. It seemed like forever ago, but it also seemed like it was just yesterday. So many things had happened and changed, but yet he didn't miss Blaine. He kept expecting a rush of sadness. Or anger. The reality was that he just felt disappointed, mostly in himself. But that was subsiding as he spent more of his time focusing on the issues at hand like all the exams and Nationals. Also, thinking about Connecticut helped keep him focused on the end goal.

What he had with Blaine was over. It would have been a struggle to stay together anyway after Kurt had made the choice to go to Connecticut instead of New York since Blaine's dream was New York and his parents had the money for him to go wherever he wanted. Kurt didn't think that Blaine would have approved of his choice to go to Hartford instead.

New York. Rachel. He had heard that she and Tina did go stalk Madame Tibideaux last week. He had hoped that she wouldn't go through with that idea, but she really just didn't think sometimes. Rachel gave her a ticket to Nationals as well. What made her think that Madame Tibideaux would change her mind? Although, it would be a very "Rachel" ending for her to get into NYADA. Rachel always seemed to manage a way to force her desired outcome in most situations.

Kurt thought back to their relationship. He really did try to give Rachel the benefit of the doubt. He offered her friendship and when he really thought about it, she never really reciprocated in a way that benefited anyone but herself. She didn't want to go to New York alone. She wanted a companion. A "best gay" as it seemed. But he still remembered the stinging words from the Lima Bean that day last year, "Who cares about you, buddy?"

Then, she ran against him in the election for Senior Class President. She had an overflowing CV with the myriad of clubs she'd been in and her dance lessons and her years of voice lessons and reference letters, including one from Shelby. Rachel knew that his CV looked nothing like hers. He hadn't taken all those years of dance lessons and private voice lessons like she did or have time to join all those after-school clubs. Yet, she strove to take away the one thing he had hoped to achieve. Then even after she had a change of heart and dropped out, she stuffed the ballot box and got him disqualified. He might have actually won, but with no way to determine which votes were valid and which weren't, it turned into a two-way contest between Rick and Brittany.

And _West Side Story_. Even if he could get over everything else with that fiasco of being laughed off the stage, finding out recently that she had conspired with Blaine to … do that. He just couldn't with her anymore. Enough of thinking about Rachel.

He moved on to thinking about the rest of his exams next week and his outing with Sebastian and the other guys. He turned over to get more comfortable, but then saw the time on his clock.

He sat up and moved to his desk and pulled out his calendar and study schedule. His AP exams next week were both in the morning, but Sebastian mentioned that he was taking the Music Theory, which was Monday morning and then the French exam which wasn't until Tuesday afternoon.

He picked up his phone, turned it on and texted Sebastian.

To Sebastian: _Do you think you could find an empty dorm bed for me next Monday evening_?

From Sebastian: ?

To Sebastian: _I'm getting tired of driving back and forth to Westerville. I'm going to see if I can get permission to spend the night in the dorms Monday night. Then, I wouldn't have to drive back again so early Tuesday morning. I don't even know if I can get permission. I'm just wondering if you can find somewhere for me to sleep that's not the floor._

From Sebastian: _Sure, you can sleep in the extra bed in my room. Go ahead call the school. See if they'll let you stay_.

To Sebastian: _I'll let you know what I find out._

It was only 4:45. Maybe someone would still be in the administrative office. He called and spoke with the secretary, then the dorm director, who approved his stay with Sebastian for Monday evening. He'd just have to pick up a special pass before the office closed Monday. Kurt texted Sebastian.

To Sebastian: _All set. I have to pick up some pass before the office closes. That's it._

Kurt's phone rang. " _Hello, Sebastian. Getting tired of typing_?" he laughed.

" _Yes, actually. I'd rather talk than type. I don't have an afternoon exam on Monday and my Tuesday afternoon test is French, which should be pretty easy. What are you taking Tuesday morning_?"

" _US Government. But I'm really ready for that one. I really got interested in how all of it worked last fall when my dad decided to run for Congress. I've taken the practice test and reviewed. I'm good to go._ "

" _Okay. Then let me plan something for Monday afternoon. Just bring some casual clothes to put on after the Music Theory test._ "

" _I can do that. Just so you know, we're leaving from school tomorrow afternoon and I won't be back until late Sunday evening. But I'll be at Dalton bright and early Monday. I have to get off the phone and finish up what I'm doing._ "

" _Good luck at Nationals. Try to have some fun in Chicago. At least you don't have to miss out on the sightseeing to go to the Passport office._ "

" _I'm so glad you said something. I had forgotten to go online and cancel that appointment. I also told my grandma that I'd call her back. It's nearly 11:00 there. I have to go._ "

" _Bye, Kurt_."

Kurt quickly dialed his grandmother's number before it got any later. He told her all about his music scholarship, his plan to take Sam with him, his newfound friendship with Sebastian, and they talked about his trip to France. By the time they hung up 20 minutes later, Kurt was even more excited than he had been. He opened his laptop, loaded the Passport office site and cancelled his appointment. His stomach started growling. He texted Carole.

To Carole: Can you sneak me up some dinner somehow?

From Carole: Sure, sweetie. I'll manage to slip some food up there somehow.

About 30 minutes later, he heard his door slip open and laundry basket with a paper sack in it slid into his room and the door closed back. Kurt went to inspect the laundry basket and laughed. Carole was awesome. He opened the sack to find his favorite sandwich, carrot sticks with dip, and a bowl of fruit salad in the sack. He texted Carole and thanked her. Obviously she really had to resort to stealth to get past Finn and Rachel.

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Kurt decided to take a shower and do his moisturizing routine. Once he was finished, he looked at the time and realized that it was only 7:00. His days had been so jam packed with prepping for his exams, his trip to Chicago and his move to Connecticut, that he hadn't really had any down time in so many weeks that he felt like he was forgetting to do something important. He decided that he'd look through the list of things that he still needed to do to move to Connecticut.

Packing. He had more packing to do. He was going to stay at Dalton Monday night. He'd need to get the uniform he had on earlier washed as soon as Rachel left. He pulled out his other pair of uniform slacks and a white button down along with a casual outfit as Sebastian had requested, and a regular outfit and laid them on the bed. He collected underwear, socks and pair of pajamas from his dresser and put them on top of the stack. He'd have to add his travel toiletry kit when he returned from Chicago.

He remembered that he hadn't been able to sort the DVDs back when he and Sam packed up stuff a couple of weeks ago. But he knew he could do it now. He moved all of the DVDs that he wanted to take with him to the shelf that Sam had put his favorites on. He put the other DVDs in the laundry basket that Carole had slipped into his room. He texted Carole asking her if Rachel had gone home yet, only to get, "Not yet." as the response. He texted back asking Carole to please make Rachel leave. A few minutes later, he heard Carole knocking on Finn's door. And a few minutes after that, he heard the front door shut and Finn's truck start up and pull out of the driveway.

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Kurt grabbed his laundry and opened his door. He made his way down to the basement, passing Carole in the kitchen. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I ran out of things to do in my room. I have to get this laundry done because I won't have time to do it Sunday night when I get back." He went and loaded the first load into the washer and turned it on. When he came back upstairs, he asked Carole to follow him upstairs, which she did. "I sorted through my DVDs and these are the ones that I'm not taking when I move. If you want any of them, feel free to take them. I'll donate the rest of them."

"That's sweet of you to think of me. Honestly, I haven't seen most of these. I'll just move them down to the family room shelf and I'll watch them. If I don't like any of them after watching them, I'll just donate them myself." Carole grabbed the basket and took the movies down to the family room.

Kurt thought about all of the boxes in the back of his car. He still hadn't made it to Columbus to the resale shop or to Goodwill to donate any of it. He looked at his schedule for the next week. He needed Sam to be with him at the outlet store to pick out a coat he liked, but he also had to make sure that the back was emptied out before Wednesday evening or he wouldn't have room for Nick, Jeff, Thad, Sebastian and Sam in the Navigator. Monday made the most sense. He'd already be so close to Columbus, but Sebastian obviously already had something in mind since he had told him to bring casual clothes. He turned on his phone and called Sebastian.

"Hey."

" _Hi. I realized that I have the back of my Navigator full of boxes that I need to take to Columbus or I won't have room for everyone next Wednesday. Is there any chance that what you have planned for Monday afternoon can include us going to Columbus? If not, I can go Tuesday, but it would add like an hour of driving time. And honestly it would be more fun not to go alone._ "

" _Actually what I had in mind to do on Monday is IN Columbus. So, it should work just fine._ "

" _Are you going to tell me what we're doing_?"

" _Nope, just dress casual. And I actually mean casual, like you'll be dressing when we go to Cedar Point._ "

" _You mean we're doing something outside._ "

" _Now, now, no guessing. I want it to be a surprise_."

" _Okay, okay, but I need to go add another pair of shoes to the things I'm packing to bring with me on Monday._ "

" _You're packing for Monday right now_?"

" _Yes. I can't be certain of how late we'll get back Sunday evening. So, better to be prepared than to end up running around like a mad man Sunday evening. I'll already have a week's worth of laundry to do when I get back_."

" _Such a renaissance man. He can tailor your outfit, fix your car, then make you a soufflé_ ," Sebastian teased.

" _True, true, but I have to finish up what I'm doing and get to bed. We have to be at school early enough to load our luggage on the bus before first period starts. I'll see you when I get back._ "

" _Hey, wait before you hang up, tell me the name of the place you need to go to in Columbus or text me the address. I need to look it up so I can add it to the itinerary._ "

" _Okay. I'll text it to you. Give me a minute. I'll wait to turn my phone back off until you text back saying that you got it._ "

" _Okay._ "

Kurt texted him the address.

From Sebastian: _A resale shop? You want to go shopping_?

To Sebastian: _No. Remember I said I have boxes that I need to get OUT of the Navigator. It's my favorite place to sell stuff. I get the best prices there._

From Sebastian: _Does it take long_?

To Sebastian: _Maybe an hour, probably less since we're going on a Monday in the middle of the afternoon and it won't be busy_.

From Sebastian: _Do you have to stay there during the process_?

To Sebastian: _No, why_?

From Sebastian: _I'm planning._

To Sebastian: ?

From Sebastian: _Let's drive straight there after we change clothes. We'll eat lunch while the store does its thing. That way we can get to where I want to take you sooner_.

To Sebastian: _Sounds like a plan. I'm going to stop at the closest Goodwill and drop off the donation boxes too. If you have any stuff you're not taking with you to Yale, box it up and take it to school with you when you head back Sunday night. We'll drop your stuff off too_.

From Sebastian: _I do need to pack up my room this weekend now that I think about it. Thanks for reminding me. See you Monday._

Kurt turned his phone back off and went into his closet and grabbed a pair of cargo shorts and a lightweight, casual short-sleeved button up and his _Wicked_ t-shirt along with his chucks and a pair of low-cut socks and made a second stack next to the pile he already had to pack for Monday. He had already used his suitcase to pack for Chicago and his duffle was already filled with the books he needed to study for his last two AP Exams. He had given Carole's suitcase to Sam. Finn was using his own. What else did he have? He had kept his Cheerio duffle. He pulled it out from his underbed storage box and packed all of the clothes and shoes on his bed in it and put it under the window. He went down to deal with his laundry and watched TV while his second load finished. By the time he got everything hung up, folded and put away, Sam was back from work.

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Kurt knocked quietly on Sam's door. Sam opened it. Kurt went in and closed the door behind him.

"Did you do it?"

"Yep, I gave my notice at the restaurant tonight. I told them my last night would be the 25th. Quitting and signing the lease makes it feel a lot more real."

"I know. It's going to be a good thing. We're going to move on."

"It's a little scary, but I think you're right." Kurt said. "Oh, don't forget we have to leave early. Carole's making us breakfast though, so it should be worth getting up early, just for that."

"Definitely."

"Before I forget. I was looking up possible museum choices for when we go to Columbus to use the last part of our triple ticket and I also looked up the Columbia Outlet store and I found out that it's not part of the outlet shops in Columbus. It's actually north of Westerville. So, I'm going to take the boxes in the Navigator to the resale shop in Columbus on Monday after my AP Exam. We can leave school early on Wednesday since Glee is officially over after Nationals. We can go to the Columbia store before my voice lesson."

"Leave school early next Wednesday. Pick out coat. Go bowling. Got it."

"Good night, Sam." Kurt went back to his room, turned off the light and climbed into bed.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning started early at the Hummel residence with all three teens needing to be at school early. Carole prepared a big breakfast for all of them as a send-off to Nationals. After finishing up and double-checking that everyone had everything, Carole handed Kurt a couple of bag of snacks, including the cereal bars that Kurt and Sam wanted, some shelf stable juice boxes and some bananas, along with a bunch of chips, junk food and Gatorade that Finn and Puck liked. Sam grabbed the bags, thanking Carole, while Finn went to the garage to put his suitcase in the trunk of Carole's car.

"Is that everything?" Carole asked. Everyone nodded and piled into the car and Carole dropped them off next to the bus in the school parking lot.

Most everyone was already standing around with their luggage waiting for Sue to come out and open the bus up.

"Move aside. Coming through," yelled Sue. Everyone rushed to get out of her way. Once the bus was open, everyone put their luggage in and headed off into the school.

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Kurt and the rest of the New Directions had a hard time keeping their minds focused during their classes and time seemed to move so slowly. Kurt and Sam turned their work in for the week at the beginning of each of their classes. Both of them had also finished what would be due the following Monday and Tuesday, but they had left that in their rooms to turn in when they got back. With finals coming up and Sam's crazy work schedule for the following week, he worked extra hard to get everything done ahead of time.

Lunch period finally came around and the New Directions all sat around the lunch table talking excitedly about going to Chicago. Kurt could hear the guys talking about the places they were going to go and he could hear the girls talking about all of the stores they wanted to shop in. Kurt and Sam weren't sitting together, but they were both equally quiet.

The last two periods seemed to drag on forever. Once the bell rang, the New Directions all met in the choir room where everything had been moved that morning by a few people who had free periods. Everyone grabbed whatever they could, make up cases, garment bags, boxes with shoes, until they had moved everything from the room out to the bus.

"Last bathroom call. I need everyone on the bus in ten minutes," Mr. Schue informed the students.

They were all there and accounted for ten minutes later. Sue shut the bus door and headed out of the parking lot for Chicago. The trip was as crazy as could be expected. There were 18 teens and four adults on one school bus. Kurt had stuffed a travel pillow into his satchel that morning, so he used that to prop his head on the window, and with his ear buds in, he managed to fall asleep.

The rowdiness eventually died down and most of the teens were sitting in groups around the bus, just talking. Rachel was talking to anyone who would listen about the importance of doing well at Nationals and reminding everyone that it would be her last chance to make a good impression and get into NYADA. Sam tried to placate her and shut her up at the same time by telling her that everyone wanted to win, so everyone would do their best. She smiled and moved on to someone else.

Sam nudged Kurt awake when everyone decided to sing their favorite songs that they had done as a group over the last three years. This was the fun part of Glee - singing, laughing and having fun together. Kurt enjoyed the last hour of the trip.

They made good time on the trip and arrived at the hotel about 8:30. Sam texted Carole telling her that they made it to Chicago safely.

Sue began to speak. "To make this go more efficiently, we'll exit the bus starting with those closest to the back. Grab your own suitcase and at least one piece of the group luggage and head into the lobby. Puck, you first."

Everyone did just as Sue had said. No one was interested in starting an argument with her or getting on her bad side so early in the trip. The bus was empty by the time everyone had gotten off. The group luggage had been placed on a few trolleys and was going to be held in storage until Thursday. Sue moved to the desk to collect the key cards for the girls and Mr. Schue did the same for the boys. Kurt got in line by himself.

"Wait, you mean Kurt gets his own room?" Rachel complained.

Kurt turned to her and spoke as calmly as possible. "Rachel, the boys have never been happy with me rooming with them. I'm 18 this time and I paid for my own room. End of discussion."

Rachel nodded and kept quiet.

Kurt purposefully left off the fact that half of his hotel room had been paid for by an anonymous donor that had sent a money order to his house with an unsigned typed letter indicating what the money was for. He had no idea who had sent it, but he was grateful because it allowed him to have a peaceful final competition and to get the studying done that he needed to do.

All of the New Directions went up to their assigned rooms and put their luggage in and then met back in the hotel lobby.

Once everyone had arrived, Coach Beiste spoke up. "Since we all arrived so late this evening, we're just going to head down the block to the McDonald's. Don't straggle along and watch not to get hit by a car. I'll be at the head of the line. You have a $10 dinner allotment. I'll hand each of you a $10 bill as you order. If you order over $10, you pay the rest yourself."

Kurt really didn't want to eat at McDonald's, but he didn't want to waste money ordering room service. So, he walked with everyone. He hung back looking over the menu board trying to find anything that looked decent. He finally just opted for a salad and a yogurt parfait. He took his food and found a place to sit. He watched the news on the TV across from his table while he ate.

They all walked back and went back to their rooms and Coach Beiste told them to keep it down and get some rest because everyone needed to be in the hotel breakfast area at 8:00, except those that had opted to go shopping and they didn't need to arrive until 9:00 since no stores opened as early as the other venues.

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Kurt went back to his room and called down to the desk for a 7:00 wake up call. He showered and went through his moisturizing routine and had just lain down on the bed to watch something on TV before he went to sleep. He heard a faint knock at his door. He got up and looked out the peephole to find Sam. He opened the door and Sam came in.

"Hey, Sam. What's up? Did you need me for something?"

"Yeah, I need your calmness. The dudes in our room are going nuts. I think they must have OD'ed on sugar at McDonald's. I brought my clothes for tomorrow morning. Think I can just bunk on the empty bed in here?"

"Sure. Help yourself. I arranged a 7:00 wake up call. Is that early enough for you?"

"It's fine. I'm just gonna crash now. I didn't get any sleep on the bus and I was up late last night finishing up stuff because I took that extra shift last night. 'Night."

Not five minutes later, Sam was out cold.

Kurt locked the safety lock on the door, turned the lights off, climbed into his bed, and resumed his channel surfing. He watched the end of some restaurant rehabilitation show and then turned the TV off and went to sleep himself.

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The next morning, Sam let Kurt use the bathroom first and catnapped a bit more. When Kurt came out, Sam got in the shower and just used the complimentary hotel products that were in the bathroom. He came out 20 minutes later, dressed and ready to go. "Um, Kurt, I used your deodorant. I hope that's okay. I didn't want to go back to the guys' room just to grab it."

Kurt just laughed at him. "It's fine. It's just deodorant."

They went down to the breakfast buffet and were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't just ten different kinds of sweets. While there were cinnamon rolls and sugary muffins, there were also boiled eggs, turkey sausage, scrambled eggs and a variety of juices and milk. Kurt, Sam and Coach Beiste had pretty much eaten their fill by the time the other boys stumbled in looking like they hadn't slept much. Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury showed up right at 8:30 to take Sam and Kurt on the bus with them to the Field Museum and then the Aquarium after lunch.

When they got to the Field Museum, Sam pulled his wallet out to pay for his ticket and Kurt shook his head, and motioned for him to put his wallet away. "Dad gave me $100 to cover our admissions for today. He was pleased that the two of us were 'taking advantage of our time in Chicago to pursue knowledge and not just entertain ourselves' or something like that."

"Your dad rocks."

"Yeah, he's pretty cool." Kurt smiled.

They looked at the map they were given when they paid for their tickets. "Wow, this place is huge. Let's start in the basement with the mummies and then work our way up to the top." Since they were only spending a half day, they didn't pause too long in any one area, but did their best to see everything. They decided they'd leave at 12:30 and eat on their walk over to the Shedd Aquarium. Kurt handed Sam a banana.

"What did you like the most?" Sam asked.

"That's a tough question. But I think my favorite part was actually seeing how they preserve the things from the past. That conservation lab was really interesting." Kurt handed him two cereal bars. "What about you?"

"I loved the dinosaur skeletons. We always see drawings in books, but I'd never seen one reassembled like that. Some of them were massive. I felt like throwing a bone and watching them play fetch." Kurt lightly smacked him on the arm.

They continued their discussion about what they had seen until they arrived at the aquarium. Kurt handed Sam a juice box and drank one himself. They tossed their trash on the way in. They had eaten a huge breakfast and decided to make due with the snacks for lunch instead of buying food in the high-priced restaurants in the museums.

They bought their tickets and moved into the viewing areas. The fish in the smaller cases were interesting to look at, but as they exited into the oceanarium area they both got more excited. They had a great time watching all of the animals and just gazing at the jellyfish and octopi. The four hours there just zoomed by because everything was just so incredible to see. They had to meet Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury out front at closing. They spent the last ten minutes in the gift shop.

"Kurt, I have to have this. It will be the one souvenir I give into the temptation to buy." Kurt turned to look. Sam was holding a black t-shirt with a Star Wars themed border that had otters wearing different Star Wars-esque outfits holding light sabers and it said 'The Otters Strike Back' in the Star Wars font.

"It's perfect, Sam. You should definitely get that."

"I'm getting this really cool octopus bottle opener. It can be our very first kitchen gadget for our new apartment. And I found an awesome octopus tea infuser in a mug that says 'I love hugs.' I'm getting it for Sebastian. He's so huggy."

Sam laughed, "Who'd'a thunk, huh?"

They got in line and paid for their items and went out to wait on the front stairs to find Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury already waiting for them.

"So what did you boys think?" Miss Pillsbury asked them as they walked toward the bus stop.

"The aquarium was amazing," answered Sam. "Parts of it just made me feel like I was in the ocean with the fish and animals. The otters were so funny."

"I loved the aquarium too. The museum was really interesting, but the aquarium was just so vibrant. I could spend days in there just watching things." Kurt said.

"We liked the aquarium better as well." Mr. Schue said. The bus arrived while they were talking and they all boarded, heading back to the hotel.

The four of them waited in the lobby for the rest of the teens and their chaperones to return to the hotel. Once everyone was back, they all left to go to a restaurant down the street. After everyone arrived, Coach Beiste reminded them that they each needed to order something off the $8.99 dinner special menu. Anything extra needed to be ordered separately and paid for on their own. Dinner went pretty smoothly, but Kurt got the strange sensation he was being watched. He just ignored it and ate.

Everyone finished pretty quickly and they were back at the hotel by 8:00. Mr. Schue led them into a small conference room and they practiced the vocals for their performance using the backing track they brought with them. An hour later, he released them all to go back to their rooms, with an admonition to actually sleep instead of horsing around all night.

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Kurt had been back to his room for a few minutes and had thought of some things he needed to do when he got back home. He opened his voice memo app instead of writing them down to save time. There was a knock on his door. Kurt laid the phone down on the dresser near the door, walked to the door, looked through the peephole and saw Finn, an angry looking Finn. Kurt opened the door. Finn came bursting in, then practically slammed the door shut behind him.

"I thought you understood about Sam. That Sam is straight. Stop trying to make Sam gay. Him sleeping in here last night just makes people start wondering what's going on. Then you spent all day with him and he didn't come with the guys on the sports sightseeing trip. You think people didn't notice that this morning? Just because you broke up with Blaine doesn't mean that you can make Sam your boyfriend now. You may be leaving, but Sam will still be here. Do you want rumors started about him? There are Cheerios with us. It's not just us. Don't do this to him."

"Finn, please leave."

"I've seen him leaving school at lunch with you lately. And you've been sitting by him all the time in Glee since you broke up with Blaine. Kurt, this just isn't fair to Sam. Leave him alone."

"Fine, Finn. I won't let him sleep in here anymore during the trip. Are you happy now? Please leave."

Kurt looked at Finn with a totally blank expression, opened the door to the room and motioned for Finn to leave.

He finally moved toward the hall and said, "I really mean it. Leave him alone."

Kurt shut the door, picked his phone back up and realized that he hadn't stopped the recording. He pressed the button. He just leaned against the wall and started to cry. His own stepbrother.

"After all this time. He still thinks I can spread the gay. I've had enough. This time I am just going to have to tell Dad and Carole because there's no other way for them to understand why I don't want Finn to know about Connecticut," he said to himself.

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About 30 minutes later, there was another knock at Kurt's door. Kurt checked. It was Sam. He opened the door and let him in. Sam took one look at him and said, "You've been crying. What's wrong?"

Kurt didn't answer immediately. He debated whether to try to brush it off or to tell Sam the truth. He decided to tell him about Finn's visit. "Do you want to hear what he said?"

"I guess so, if you want me to know." Kurt pulled out his phone, turned it back on and played the recording. Sam was stunned.

After a few minutes of silence, he suddenly said, "Maybe I should just kiss you at breakfast tomorrow morning."

"What?" Kurt was shocked by what Sam had said.

"If you weren't so interested in this trip being drama free, I would totally do it."

"Why?"

"Because some many of them are just stuck up homophobes. I'd do it just to make them all mad. I mean seriously, kissing is kissing. Why is it so important to them who I kiss? Unless I'm trying to kiss them, it's none of their business. Homophobic busy bodies. They need to get a life."

"This is just one of the many reasons why you are such an awesome person, Samuel Evans."

Sam just smiled at him.

Kurt spoke again. "You know I'm going to have to tell my dad and Carole this time."

"Two questions. One: What do you mean this time? And two: What's the point in telling them?"

"Well, it's pretty much the same thing he said to me back when you first came to school and I wanted to sing the duet with you. And the point in telling them is to prove why I don't want to tell him or anyone else in New Directions about our plans for the fall."

Sam thought for a second. "Wait, you backed out because of Finn?"

"Yeah. You were new. I couldn't subject you to the hell I was put through just because I wanted to sing with you."

"But, I totally wanted to sing with you. Even when Finn tried to scare me off, I told him to butt out."

"Wait, Finn talked to you too?"

"Yep. I was really bummed when you backed out. Since I didn't know you well back then, I figured that you had come up with that cool idea and wanted to do that big number with all the dancers instead of singing with me."

"No. I just didn't want you to be targeted the way I was. Think about how hard David was coming after me back then. I didn't want that for you."

Sam pulled him into a hug and said, "Thanks for protecting me. I wish you hadn't felt like you had to though."

Kurt stepped back, "Me too. Don't forget – you stood up to David for me. It's almost over now. There're only a few days left of school. I wouldn't be surprised if I don't get a goodbye dumpster toss on Friday." Kurt moved toward the dresser and grabbed a box of cereal bars, a couple of juice boxes and a banana. "You can't stay here with me tonight." Kurt shoved the food into Sam's hands. "Take this with you and that will give you an 'alibi' for coming to see me. Sorry about all of this."

"Hey, you didn't cause any of this. No need for you to be sorry. See ya in the morning at breakfast." Sam walked out of the room and Kurt shut and locked the door behind him.

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After breakfast the next morning, the New Directions had the use of a large banquet room for two hours to practice. They went through their whole set and then Mr. Schue and Sue picked apart their mistakes until they could do all three songs without messing anything up. Quinn struggled, but pulled through. Coach Bieste's and Coach Sue's presence kept any horsing around to a minimum and they accomplished a lot in polishing their numbers in those two hours.

Coach Beiste rounded everyone up before anyone was allowed to leave the room. "You are on your own for lunch and you have the afternoon free. As the permission slips stated, you all have permission to leave the hotel as long as you stay within a 6-block radius. You must have at least three people in your group at all times. Make sure each you has your cell phones on before you walk out of this room."

Mr. Schue cut in, "Be in the lobby at 3:45 to pick up your shoes and be sure to be wearing dance and dinner appropriate clothing. We have opted to leave our costumes in storage and not risk damaging them for this afternoon's rehearsal, but you will be dancing in the shoes that you'll be wearing during the performance so that you can get an appropriate feel of the stage. 3:45. Don't be late. We're leaving at 4:00 sharp. We only get 30 minutes on the stage." He moved away from the door and let the teens pass through.

Kurt spent the afternoon in his room studying for his Music Theory AP exam. This one was nearly as hard as the Calculus test because there were so many different things to remember that he had learned on his own and never really put into practice. He reviewed for an hour and took a practice test. After he finished grading it, he felt a little better about how he would do on Monday, but there were still areas that could use more review. At 3:30, he ate a banana, grabbed a juice box and cereal bar and headed downstairs. He grabbed a sandwich out of a vending machine to finish off his lunch since he couldn't leave the hotel alone. He was one of the first to arrive in the lobby.

Coach Bieste came and sat down next to him on the bench. "Hey, Kurt. I just wanted to say that I really admire you. You work really hard. And it shows. I wish I had managed to get the football team in better shape, but I hope it will get better over time because I'll get new kids each year and I won't let them get to the point where Azimio and that lot were when I started. The bullying you've endured is just awful. It's a work in progress. The team lost out on a good kicker from what I've seen in some videos."

"Thanks. I hope you're successful. I mentioned to someone earlier that I'm expecting a 'Happy Graduation dumpster dive' next Friday. I hope I'm wrong, but I sincerely doubt it. There's little motivation to behave when they can't be made to attend detention or get suspended because there are no more school days."

"Maybe I'll spend my time before and after school standing next to the dumpster. That ought to be a big enough deterrent."

"Thanks, Coach, but you don't have to do that."

"I think I will anyway. Maybe I should cut the cord on the slushie machine while I'm at it." She stood to help corral the herd of teens to the bus.

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Their rehearsal went well and the lighting crew had done a great job setting the presets from the video they had submitted ahead of time. They had time to run through their whole set three times.

They got back on the bus and went to an IHOP for dinner. Coach Bieste got everyone's attention. "Remember that you need to order from the $10 and under menu items. Anything extra is on you. Y'all did good last night. Keep it up."

The teens all filed off the bus and into the IHOP. Most had never been to an IHOP before and had a tough time making their final choices.

"Belgian dark chocolate mousse pancakes or Mexican tres leches pancakes? I just can't decide."

"Oh, definitely chocolate."

"New York cheesecake pancakes? I've died and gone to heaven."

"Cupcake pancakes?"

"Pancake sliders?"

"These choices are insane. I just can't decide."

Eventually everyone settled on their choices and everyone had a great time.

During the ride back, Coach Sue made some announcements. "This evening at 7:30, there will be a showing of _Save the Last Dance_ in the large banquet hall on the main level of the hotel. Snacks are provided. Room curfew is in effect tonight. Everyone must be in their room by 10pm. We will be doing a headcount to ensure compliance. We are scheduled to perform at 10:00 tomorrow morning. We are first. Meet in the breakfast area at 8:00. Be ON time."

Mr. Schue began to speak, "We'll move the costumes, make up and shoes to the bus before breakfast tomorrow, so everything will be in there ready for us to leave after all of you finish eating. As Sue said, be on time."

Coach Beiste added, "Put your shoes in the boxes here in the front seats on your way off the bus if you didn't put them in when you got on the bus."

Everyone got off the bus. Most of the girls went straight to the banquet hall to watch the movie, while the boys were talking about watching some action movie in their room.

Kurt just went back to his own room to study more. Keeping his distance from Sam was wearing on him. He thought about texting Sebastian just to entertain himself for a while, but he knew that he really needed to work on his Music Theory more. He had missed 15% of the questions on the practice exam and he needed to do better than that to get a 5 on the exam.

After reviewing for two hours, Kurt took his shower and went through his nightly routine. He went to bed hoping that everything would go smoothly the next day.

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A lot of the group members were too nervous to eat much at breakfast the next morning, but Miss Pillsbury went around reminding those who weren't eating of the importance of proper nutrition, and in a desire to end her gentle, but persistent lecturing, most of them went through the line and at least picked at the food the had put on their plates.

At 8:30, everyone moved to bus. The arrived at the auditorium and moved their costumes and other items to the dressing room quickly. Santana and Quinn helped the guys to get their make up on correctly after they were dressed. They were both used to getting ready quickly and had the time to help the boys. Tina and Kurt double-checked each outfit and everyone's make up to make sure that nothing needed any last minute repairs or touch-ups. By 9:30, they were all ready to go. They formed their show circle and gave their "amazing" rally cry and headed off to the edge of the stage to await being called to perform.

The Troubletones number started with Santana, Brittany and Mercedes rising up to stage level on a lift. The lead passed between the three of them and Quinn and Tina. Kurt was glad to see Tina get at least a little time to shine. She worked so hard and got very little recognition, despite being a fantastic singer. She really rocked the lead on their group song at Sectionals when Rachel had been suspended from competing.

Rachel's nerves were getting the better of her during the Troubletones number and she kept checking to see if Madame Tibideaux was sitting in the seat that she had bought a ticket for. It remained empty and Finn did his best to reassure her that this was her moment to shine. Kurt did his best to suppress his urge to roll his eyes. She took a few deep breaths and moved out to the center of the stage. About a third of the way into Rachel's ballad, Madame Tibideaux slid into her seat. She turned up her charm and belted her solo out.

The group number went well, but there were some slight issues with everyone staying in sync, but it turned out pretty well. They finished strong and exited the stage to change and then watch the rest of the groups perform throughout the day.

By the end of the day, they had seen several groups that were definitely just as good as they were and some that just weren't going to make it to the top ten. They left to go eat dinner and returned at 7:00 to check the Showcase list to see if they'd made it this year. Finally, they were in the Showcase. They'd perform again the next morning in front of a different group of judges. The Showcase started at 10:00 and by noon, they'd know how they had done.

Another movie was being shown in the large banquet hall. This time it was something with lots of explosions, but obviously still rated PG-13. Kurt didn't even bother to pay attention to what it was. The guys decided they'd give the movie and free snacks a chance while the girls opted for a spa night in their room, giving each other manicures and pedicures in a red that matched their dresses. Kurt did neither. He went back to his room to attempt one more time to drill Music Theory concepts into his head. It was his last chance to study and he had to use his time wisely.

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He'd only been in his room about an hour when someone knocked on his door. He looked through the peephole. Santana? Why would she be knocking?

He opened the door and let her in. She made herself at home and plopped on the extra bed in the room. "So, why've you been avoiding us twinkle toes?"

"I have a lot to study."

"Try again. You're smart. McKinley isn't a challenge for you."

Kurt said nothing.

Santana stared at him, trying to figure out what he was hiding. "Look, ever since you and the hobbit broke up, you've been avoiding all of us. Well, you intervened in to prevent Puck from failing to graduate and I know you had something to do with Quinn picking Jeremy to run for Prom royalty with. So, you're still scheming behind the scenes, but not interacting with any of us. Spill."

"Okay listen. I'm not telling you everything, but I'll tell you part of it. I wanted some calm. New Directions has too much drama. I wanted us to have a chance to enjoy coming to Chicago. Even if we don't win, this is our last competition together. So many of our competitions have been insanely dramatic and chaotic. Having our set list stolen, the Troubletones breaking away from the New Directions, Rachel getting suspended from participating and so on." Kurt stopped to think what else to add without going into the details.

Santana nodded, "Go on."

"This doesn't leave this room. I mean it San."

"Fine. I can keep my mouth shut. I don't always, but I can and I will."

"Do you know why Sam isn't graduating with us?"

"Um, he's a junior?"

"No. Actually, he's not. He delivered pizzas all spring last year, remember? His birthday's in May. He turned 17 last May. He's a senior and should be graduating with us. But he came back to Ohio too late last fall to take those stupid standardized state tests they make us take. And since he wasn't in Ohio, except for one testing time period, he still had a couple that he needed to take. But no one in our lame school figured this out until after Regionals. And it was 'Surprise Sam, you're not going to get to graduate'. I mean why would his parents let him come here to 'finish out' school with us if he had another whole year after this one?"

"Honestly, I never thought about it. He isn't in any of my classes. But that totally sucks."

"Yeah, it does. There was nothing I could do to fix Sam's situation, but when I heard that Puck needed to retake that Government test and do well in order to graduate - THAT was a situation that I could help fix. You were the best choice of a way to fix it quickly. And you did. Thanks to your willingness to intervene, Puck will graduate with us."

"Those cookies were good, by the way. Britt loved hers too."

"As for me avoiding everyone, it seems to be working quite well. There's a lot less drama. I'm not deluded into thinking I'm the center of the known universe like some of the people in our group, but I do think that my presence irritates enough members of the group that it causes continual friction amongst the members. To be honest, I'm not quite sure why. I haven't done anything to anyone since I gave Rachel the Sandy catsuit makeover sophomore year, and even that was something that only affected a couple of people and she looked good. I've never outed anyone. I've kept people's secrets. I've worked hard. Yet, people hate me or just love to mock me or actually injure me. On the other hand, Finn outed you. And he's a mediocre student. He doesn't go out of his way to help anyone, yet everyone likes him," Kurt paused thinking about the recording on his phone. "Anyway, I'm not interested in going out with a bang. I actually just want to go out in a quiet, dignified way."

"I can understand that."

"As for the question about Prom. My only answer to that is that I will not be attending. Therefore, I cannot be chosen as Prom Queen again this year. I don't need yet another reminder of how I am too much of a 'girl' to ever be a man. I look forward to a point in time in my life where no one will refer to me with condescending feminine nicknames. I won't give the students another opportunity to emasculate me publicly. I hope everyone has a great time, but I won't be there."

"Okay."

"Remember that you agreed to keep this stuff to yourself."

"Yeah, I will."

"I need to get back to studying."

Santana got up and walked out the door.

Kurt locked the security lock and just went straight to the shower. He needed some time to decompress before he went back to studying.

After his shower and moisturizing, he repacked his toiletry kit, only leaving out a few things he'd need in the morning next to the bag. He hadn't made a mess of his room, but he looked around and made sure that everything except the clothes he needed for tomorrow were packed in his suitcase ready to go. Once he was sure that he was ready to go, he settled back down to study Music Theory again.

At 10:00, he decided that he had studied enough, packed his book and notes back into his duffle and went to sleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sunday morning was pretty much a replay of Saturday morning, but with more nerves. Fewer people ate. More people looked really tense. The one big difference was that everyone had their suitcases with them. Coach Beiste stood up, "Mike, Santana, Lyndsay." She barked. "Give your suitcase to someone else. Go back up to the rooms and do a final check that no one has left anything in the rooms. Meet in the lobby when you're done."

The rest of the group was ushered through the lobby to start loading the suitcases onto the bus. As each person left, Miss Pillsbury collected their room cards. By the time half the stuff was loaded, the three teens were back and got in line. They were surprisingly empty-handed. With all the suitcases loaded and the keycards collected, the students waited on Mr. Schue and Kurt to pay their room bills.

The ride to the auditorium was quiet. Once they arrived, they moved quickly to the dressing area and got themselves ready again. They weren't performing first this time, but fifth. They finished getting ready, hyped themselves up with an "amazing" and made their way to the auditorium section that had been reserved for them. With many of the competing groups eliminated the day before, there were more vacant seats.

What was different about Sunday was that there was no sign of Madame Tibideaux anywhere. Kurt didn't know whether that would improve or hinder Rachel's performance. Of course, he didn't wish ill on her, or anyone for that matter, he just didn't think that NYADA was in her future. Some mistakes just can't be undone by trying harder or demanding a do-over.

The groups performing Sunday were the ones that Kurt had picked out the day before. It was a really competitive event this year. It seemed that any of the ten remaining groups could take the top slot.

In the space between the third group exiting and before the fourth group took the stage, the New Directions moved to the wings so that they were ready to go on. Everyone put on their show faces and did their very best. Their final group number was definitely more in sync that morning than it had been the previous morning. Everyone was pleased and convinced that they had a good shot at winning.

They returned to the audience to watch the final four groups perform. After the last group, there was a 15-minute intermission and at the end the announcer moved to the stage and started with 10th place. The groups in 4th -10th place did not move to the stage. They just stood up from their seats and everyone applauded for them. Once there were only three remaining groups left, those groups moved up to the stage. The anticipation was palpable.

"In third place…" Not the New Directions.

"In second place…" Not the New Directions.

They had WON!

They all started quietly congratulating each other right as their name was being announced. Afterward, they started jumping up and down and hugging each other.

Sam and Kurt were standing at the back of the group and Sam reached over and pulled Kurt to him and hugged him tightly. "We did it!" he said. He let Kurt go and moved through the group hugging people.

They had won. Rachel, Finn and Mr. Schue moved up to the announcer to accept the trophy. Then, they filed off the stage as the announcers finished up their speech thanking the committees of people that made the whole event possible.

The New Directions were still jumping up and down and hugging each other as they entered the dressing room.

Santana spoke up. "Hey, everyone! Listen up. Keep your outfits on. Give them a minute to clear off the stage and let's go back out there on the stage and take a few group shots." Everyone followed Santana back to the stage. The curtain had been pulled put the lights were still shining on the stage.

Coach Sue starting ordering people around. "Mike, Rory, Finn, Puck, Sam, Kurt – back row in that order. Now!" The six of them moved into place. She order the six shortest girls, including Tina, Mercedes and Rachel to line up in front of them standing." She put the trophy in the middle of the row. "Quinn, Brittany, Santana and Sugar, down on your knees but straight backs up tall. Blaine, Artie, Finn, Joe next row. Everyone else as low to the floor as you can get while kneeling." She adjusted everyone, moved a few people around, got the rows straight, and got everyone to smile for the picture in record time. A little fear always got people to work faster. She took five quick shots.

"Okay. Everyone up. Anyone who wants an individual shot, line up to the right." She took two shots of each individual in quick succession. She moved through the line quickly. "Okay. Any of you who want to do your own groups with the trophy, move it. You've got five minutes. Sue actually gave them 15, but the fear that they wouldn't all get done kept them from lollygagging too much. When she called "Time's up, back to the dressing room," everyone started to move.

"Sam, get the trophy. Kurt, help him." Kurt and Sam hung back. "Go on. Stand together. I'll take the picture. I know you two couldn't ask anyone to do it for you. I overheard some of what your over-sized stepbrother said to you the other night. I'm in the room across the hall from you." Kurt and Sam moved and stood behind the trophy and they put their arms around each other's shoulders and smiled at Sue. She snapped a couple of shots. "I'll send these to you now, Kurt. Then, I'll delete them off so they won't end up on the CDs with all of the others."

Sam and Kurt thanked her, grabbed the trophy and carried it out to dressing room. Everyone worked quickly to repack all of their stuff. No one noticed the delay of Kurt and Sam's return. Once everything was ready, Kurt and Sam grabbed the trophy and they led the group out of the room to the bus.

For their last meal in Chicago, they were headed to have authentic Chicago style pizza at the Art of Pizza. A variety of pizzas were ordered. Vegetarian deep dish, Southwestern deep dish, Hawaiian stuffed pizza, Art's Special thin crust, and others. Everyone had a good time. They boarded the bus and headed back to Ohio. A little less than five hours later, they were pulling into the school parking lot.

Those that hadn't left their cars called their parents once they were close to the school. Everyone helped unload the costumes and boxes and put them, along with the trophy, in the choir room. Mr. Schue locked the doors. "I hope a few of you can get to school early tomorrow morning and help me get this stuff put away. See everyone tomorrow. I'm so proud of all of you!"

There were more hugs, more jumping and lots of laughter. The group moved back out to the parking lot and emptied the bus out and moved their suitcases to their own cars and headed home.

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Carole had come to pick the three boys up and she listened as mostly Finn talked about what they had done while they were in Chicago. "I hope you boys took pictures. I want to see them. I've never been to Chicago. It sounds like a lot of fun. Maybe Burt and I can plan a trip there sometime."

All three boys grabbed their suitcases once they got out of the car. Kurt took his suitcase directly to the basement, opened the washer and dumped in a load of his clothes. He put his suitcase in the storage room. Then he headed up to his room with his duffle and satchel. He jumped in the shower, put his pajamas on, quickly moisturized and headed back to the basement to transfer the wet clothes to the dryer and hang up anything that couldn't be dried. He knocked on Sam's door as he passed and said, "Washer's available." And heard a "Thanks!" from behind the door. A half-hour later, they were in the laundry room at the same time. "I've almost got all my stuff. There – all yours."

Kurt scurried back upstairs with a basket full of clean clothes that needed folded and put away. Kurt did it as quickly as he could and got in bed. He texted Carole telling her that he wasn't hungry and that he was going to bed. He set his alarm for 5:00am again. Morning would come too soon. At least he didn't have to drive back tomorrow afternoon. Then he remembered that he forgot to tell anyone that he was staying in Westerville. He quickly texted Carole to let her know. Then, he did his best to relax and fall asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Monday morning meant getting up in the dark again. Kurt thought about how this was his last day of ridiculously early rising as he hauled himself out of bed. He put on the Dalton uniform that he had placed on his Cheerio's duffle, styled his hair and grabbed his blazer out of the closet. He slipped it on, grabbed his satchel and his duffle. He met Carole in the kitchen, which was a surprise. She had made him breakfast.

"Thanks, I didn't expect to find you up so early."

"Well, I wanted to tell you how proud of you your dad and I are. You've been working non-stop for weeks to study for all those AP Exams while keeping up with everything else. You and Sam didn't say much in the car last night. Did the two of you have a good time in Chicago?"

"I really liked the museum and I loved the aquarium. The rest was mostly just studying more and practicing. I think you and Dad would really like the aquarium too. I could spend days in there."

"Well, we'll definitely have to go there if we're ever in Chicago. How are you doing with all your planning for your move this summer?"

"I sent in our deposit before we left for Chicago. So, I think everything is set. We'll need to get a U-Haul possibly. Sam and I cleaned out our closets and everything when you and Dad were gone that weekend that Sam stayed here. I have several boxes of clothes in the Navigator that I'm taking to a resale shop in Columbus today. There are some things I'm dropping off at Goodwill too."

"So, you're staying at Dalton tonight and you'll be back tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yes. I have a morning exam again tomorrow. So, I should be home before McKinley gets out. But I am still avoiding spending any time with Rachel unless I absolutely have to."

"Sweetie, is there a reason why she's upset you so much more than her usual annoyingness?

"Yes, but I need to head out now. If you're home tomorrow when I get back, maybe we can sit down and I can explain some things. I really do need to talk to you. But I have to run for now. If I'm late, I can't get in to the room to take the test."

"Okay, honey. I'll try to be here tomorrow afternoon."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt got in the Navigator, slid in his Madonna CD and set off for Dalton. The drive seemed incredibly long. He was really glad that he wasn't going to have to do this again tomorrow morning. After an interminably long drive, he finally made it to the Dalton lot. Sebastian was waiting for him outside again. " _I hear congratulations are in order_ ," he leaned in and hugged Kurt quickly.

"Thanks."

They moved into the building and to the office quickly to sign in. The exam was in the same classroom as the week before. They both knew the drill: listening to the directions, waiting for everyone to get a test, the timer starting, then finally opening the test booklet and getting started. The three hours seemed to go much faster on the tests that Kurt didn't feel as prepared for. This time there just didn't seem to be enough time to get through everything, but he did his best.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They met in the hallway after the test.

" _Come back out with me and I'll grab my duffle and pick up the dorm pass on the way back in._ "

Sebastian followed him out.

" _So, what did you think about the test_?" Kurt asked.

" _I thought it was pretty tough. I bet it was really hard for you since McKinley doesn't teach Music Theory. You had to learn it all on your own with no one to ask questions._ "

Kurt nodded. He grabbed his duffle out of the truck.

" _Cheerios, huh_?" he teased.

" _You knew I was a Cheerio. Stop teasing. I ran out of duffles and bags and suitcases packing for more than one trip last week. I just didn't want to have to do anything but sleep when I got home last night. So I put my stuff in here last week and it was ready to go._ "

They stopped at the office on the way back in, grabbed the pass and then headed on to the dorms.

Sebastian opened the door that lead to the dorm rooms and led Kurt to his room and let him in. " _You can change in the bathroom if you want. I'll change out here. Then, we can go._ "

Kurt came out of the bathroom in the _Wicked_ t-shirt, cargo shorts, and Chucks he had packed.

" _Nice._ " Sebastian said. " _Very casual. It's perfect. Let's go._ "

Kurt picked his duffle back up and moved toward the door.

" _Wait, I brought two boxes of stuff to donate. I almost forgot._ "

Kurt put his satchel strap over his shoulder crossbody style and picked up one of the boxes. Sebastian grabbed the other box and locked the door on the way out. They headed out to the parking lot. Kurt opened the back door of the Navigator so they could put Sebastian's boxes in the backseat.

" _I'll drive until the back is emptied out and then you can drive afterwards since I already know the best way to get to Goodwill and the resale shop._ "

" _Sounds good_ ," Sebastian said as he hopped in the passenger seat. " _So, how did Chicago go_?"

" _Well, we won as you already know, so that part was good. Other parts, not so much_ ," Kurt said in a somewhat defeated voice.

" _What happened_?"

" _Well, it was really just more of the usual._ "

" _Usual what_?"

" _Stupidity mixed with latent homophobia._ "

" _Homophobia in Chicago_?"

" _No, homophobia in Finn._ "

" _Finn, as in your stepbrother_?"

" _The one and only. Apparently, he thinks I have superpowers_ ," Kurt said sarcastically.

" _I am so lost_."

" _Well, Finn thinks I have the power to turn someone gay._ "

" _Surely not. Maybe he was joking_?"

" _I'd like to think so, but he barged into my room and yelled at me for trying to turn Sam gay. I'm doing this by spending time with Sam, sitting with Sam in Glee, and the final method to turning him gay was that I let him sleep in the extra bed in my room the first night we were there. Let's talk about something else._ "

" _Did you do anything cool in Chicago_?

" _Sam and I chose the museum sightseeing option and we went to the Field Museum and the Shedd Aquarium. Reach back into the back seat. There's something back there for you._ "

" _You brought me something back_?"

" _Open it_."

Sebastian started laughing. " _I love it. It's awesome_!"

" _I'm glad. I thought of you the instant I saw it. That's been one of the most surprising things about you. You are really huggy._ "

" _I'll tone it down, if you'd like. I can totally be non-huggy._ "

" _No, I'm actually starting to like it._ "

" _Haven't people hugged you before? You were really hesitant at first. I didn't want to ask, but I was curious._ "

" _To be honest, other than my dad, Sam has been the only male who has ever willingly hugged me just to be friendly. Remember what I said about stupidity and 'spreading the gay'? A lot of people in Lima still believe that being gay is a disease and that people can 'spread the gay'. Within that belief system, I have the power to turn someone to the 'dark side' of homosexuality._ "

" _I thought that people had advanced past that nonsense._ "

" _Well, not in Lima. It's pretty ingrained, at least amongst the predator portion of the school population. The adults believe it and indoctrinate their children. Why else would someone be so upset about being outed that they would kill themselves. Think about Dave. His mother wanted to 'cure' him. She actually believes that he can be 'cured'._ "

" _That's just really sad._ "

" _You mentioned the flinching. That's from years of having any sort of male touch leading to me being injured in some way. When I came to Dalton last year, my bruises had bruises._ "

" _I'm sorry_."

" _You didn't do it_."

" _Every time you mention things like that, I just remember how I hurt you. You wore your mask well. You seemed unflappable. But you were drowning and I helped push you under. I know you said that you forgave me when I apologized, but I haven't really forgiven myself._ "

They rode in silence for a while, the air heavy with regret.

Sebastian changed the subject. " _How are your college plans going_?"

" _I sent in our signed lease before we left for Chicago. Sam and I are now the proud tenants of an apartment in ... the city I'm going to college in._ "

" _Congratulations. My dad has backed my request for a single. I'm so glad. I just couldn't stand the thought of having a roommate._ "

Sebastian seemed really relieved, more so that would seem normal. But Kurt could understand not wanting to share space with a stranger.

" _Yeah, that's one big plus to Sam going with me. He's a great guy._ "

" _So how long are you going to hold out on me before you tell me where you're going_?"

" _You're not making it easy for me to keep it from you, you know_?"

Sebastian smiled. " _So, just tell me and stop working so hard at stopping yourself_."

Kurt paused and thought. " _A secret for a secret._ "

" _You already know most of my secrets._ "

" _Okay. Answer this then. What's the one thing you wish for most, personally? Not something like world peace._ "

" _That's easy. I've always wished my dad liked me enough to want to spend time with me. I know he loves me. He's always taken really good care of me, even when I was in France. He always sent my mom money, even though she didn't really need it. He loves me, but he's never liked me and I had hoped this year would change that even though I didn't want to come here_." A few tears made their way down Sebastian's cheeks as he looked out the side window.

" _I don't know what to say._ "

" _There's really nothing to be said. Some things just don't happen as much as we might want them to._ "

" _I know. As much as I like Carole, the one thing I always wished for was for my mom to have lived._ " Kurt tried to hold back the tears, but had to wipe them away to drive safely.

" _Well, now we're both crying and I still don't know where you're going to college._ "

Kurt laughed and Sebastian smiled.

" _I'll tell you, but you really can't tell anyone right now. Only my family and Sam know. I don't think I'm even going to tell Finn or anyone in New Directions._ "

" _I promise I won't tell._ "

" _It's in Hartford._ "

" _You're only going to be like 45 minutes away_ ," he said enthusiastically.

" _I told you it was closer to Yale than McKinley is to Dalton_."

" _Yes, you did._ "

" _We're here_ ," Kurt said a he turned into the resale shop's lot. Sebastian helped Kurt carry all of the boxes inside. Kurt filled out the paperwork and they headed back out. " _There's a place to eat just down the street. How about we just walk there_?"

" _Sounds good to me._ "

They ordered and their food came pretty quickly. While they were in line to pay their bill, Kurt's cell phone rang. He stepped out of line and outside to answer. He came back in to find that Sebastian had paid both of their bills.

" _You didn't have to pay for me._ "

" _I know, but I did. Let's go._ "

They walked back to the store. While Kurt settled the account, Sebastian carried the unwanted items back out to the Navigator. Kurt realized that he hadn't given Sebastian the key so he texted him the keypad entry code. He was used to doing things with Sam, who had his own key for the truck. When Kurt came out Sebastian had already put the boxes in the back and was sitting in the passenger seat ready to go.

Kurt pulled out and headed for Goodwill. He pulled up under the drop-off overhang. Sebastian jumped out to help him.

" _Someone will come out. We just hand them the boxes._ "

Sebastian grabbed his two boxes from the backseat and handed them to the guy who came out to help them. Then he moved around to the back to help Kurt. It didn't take long for them to unload all of the boxes.

Sebastian jumped into the driver's seat with a big smile on his face. " _Are you ready for an adventure_?"

Kurt laughed and said, "Life is either a great adventure or nothing."

"Helen Keller."

" _So where are we adventuring_?"

" _You'll find out soon enough. It's not far from here at all. Just close your eyes and relax._ "

" _Seriously, you expect me to close my eyes_?"

" _Yep. Close them._ "

" _Can I at least put a CD in first_?"

" _Sure_."

Sebastian and Kurt sang along as they made their way to Sebastian's secret adventure destination. Less than 20 minutes later, Kurt could feel Sebastian pulling into a parking space.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

" _Can I open my eyes yet_?"

" _Nope, wait until I come around to get you._ " Sebastian opened the passenger door, helped Kurt out and put his hands on Kurt's waist and gently pushed him to the end of the truck and turned him to face the entrance. " _Open your eyes._ "

" _The ZOO! Can you believe that I've never actually been here?"_

" _Neither have I, so adventure awaits. Let's go._ "

Sebastian insisted on paying for their admission because he claimed that it was his idea and he hadn't given Kurt enough advanced warning to expect a big expenditure.

" _Okay, Sebastian. I'll let you pay, but I just want to make sure that you don't think that you have to buy my friendship. I actually like spending time with you._ "

Sebastian smiled. " _I'm not trying to buy anything but an afternoon of fun and adventure_."

" _Alright then. Where shall we start_?"

Sebastian opened his map.

Kurt reached over and held one edge as they both looked at it. " _Wow. This place is huge. Let's get on the shuttle and head over to the Heart of Africa._ "

They made their way through Africa, North America and Asia before they stopped for a break. They sat down on a bench near the lake.

" _Let me pick the snack. I'll be right back._ "

Sebastian waited for him. " _What is that_?" he asked when Kurt came back.

Kurt switched back to English. "It's called a 'funnel cake'. They're good."

Sebastian tore a piece off and ate it. "You're right. I like it."

They finished it up and moved on through the tunnel.

"Manatees!" Kurt squealed as he pulled Sebastian by the hand and ran over to the manatee building. " _I don't know the word for 'manatee' in French, but I loved watching them when we were at the aquarium in Chicago_." They walked along the edge of the glass, Kurt just staring into the pool. " _Aren't they cool?_ "

" _Lamantins_ ," Sebastian supplied. " _Now, we've both learned a new word today_ ," he smiled and looked back into the tank. " _You're right. They're really cool_."

They backtracked a bit to see the fish building that they had bypassed in Kurt's excitement to go into the manatee building.

" _I think if I had endless money and I had already solved world poverty, I would build a tank like this for my own house. I could sit and just look forever I think. It's just so mesmerizing and relaxing._ "

After about ten minutes, they left the building.

" _Let's ride the carousel._ " Sebastian pulled Kurt and got in line.

After their turn, they walked past a playground that looked like giant bugs.

" _This is the coolest playground I have ever seen. Come on. I know were too big to get on anything, but I'm going to take a selfie us in front of that slide._ "

Kurt leaned into the shot and smiled at Sebastian's phone.

They finished looking at all of the exhibits in the Congo area and then moved on to the Australia area.

" _Kangaroos are so cool. I can't imagine just going outside and seeing them jumping around like we see deer_ ," said Sebastian.

" _This is a really cool zoo. Thanks for thinking of this and bringing me here._ "

" _I'm glad you came. It's going to close in 15 minutes. We need to head back to the front._ "

Kurt and Sebastian made it into the gift shop just in time to grab t-shirts. Kurt chose one with a manatee and Sebastian chose a kangaroo shirt. They talked about all of the animals they had seen and what they liked all the way back to Dalton.

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Kurt parked and grabbed his duffle and satchel out of the back. Sebastian grabbed their bag from the gift shop.

" _You know what? Put that back in_ ," Sebastian said, as he put the gift shop bag back on the seat. " _Let's go eat at that soup place again. I'm hungry, but I'm not really up for anything heavy._ "

" _That's a good idea_."

They walked and talked. They were seated quickly and choose something light. They enjoyed their choices and had a good time. They walked back and got the bags out of the truck and headed into the dorm building. They took turns in the bathroom showering and putting their pajamas on. When Kurt came out of the bathroom, he saw that Sebastian was uploading his photos from the zoo.

" _Can I ask you a favor_?"

" _Sure._ "

" _Can you set your new photos to family only until we actually move away_?"

" _Okay. I'll do that, but can I ask why_?"

" _I am not ashamed to be your friend. I just have no interest in arguing with people who think they are my friends about why you are a better friend to me than any of them._ "

Sebastian blushed.

" _Now, who's blushing_?" Kurt teased and nudged Sebastian.

" _Remember when you asked me what I wished for earlier_?"

" _Yes_."

" _Well, one of my more recent wishes was to see you get away from your ex and for you to at least not hate me. The fact that you consider me to be a friend is far more than I had hoped for_."

"The Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day."

" _I wasn't THAT bad._ "

" _No, but Sam's a huge Dr. Seuss fan and he's rubbed off on me._ "

Sebastian laughed.

" _I'm glad were friends too_ ," Kurt said. He spun in a circle and pretended to be on a catwalk, " _Now, that we're sporting our lovely evening wear, what's the plan for the rest of the evening_?"

Sebastian laughed at his pose. " _Well, I don't have any French movies here because my only French region DVD player is at home and I didn't buy any North American region versions since I already had my originals._ "

Kurt sat down on the extra bed and said, " _Well, I'm actually pretty tired. We could just turn off the lights and lie down and play the questions game until we fall asleep._ "

Kurt got into the extra bed and lay down. Sebastian turned off the lights and got into his own bed. " _I'm not familiar with that game_."

" _Sure you are. We started it on the swing in your garden. We have to answer truthfully or pass. No lying, but you don't have to answer if you really don't want to._ "

" _I'll start this time. What's the craziest dream you've ever had_?"

They continued asking each other questions until Sebastian could hear Kurt breathing softly and he gave up waiting for an answer and went to sleep himself.

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Kurt woke up to the smell of coffee. He opened his eyes slowly and Sebastian was standing at the foot of the bed holding two cups of coffee. There were two plates of food on Sebastian's desk. Kurt sat up and reached for a cup. "My hero." Sebastian just laughed and handed him one of the cups.

" _I figured a nice breakfast would help you remember all those US Government facts. Or maybe at least keep your stomach from growing during the test_."

" _Thanks. What are your plans for this morning_?" Kurt sipped his coffee.

" _I'm finishing my last paper that's due._ "

" _Well, I'd better get ready._ " Kurt moved toward the bathroom, taking his clean uniform. " _I'll be out in a few minutes._ " When he came back out, he grabbed his food off Sebastian's desk and ate it sitting at the other desk. After he finished eating, he packed up his pajamas and his clothes from the day before. " _I'm going to head down to turn in the dorm pass, put my duffle in the car, and go sign in for my test. Thanks so much for letting me stay with you. You saved me a lot of driving. And I had a lot of fun with you yesterday._ "

Sebastian stood, " _Me too._ " He walked toward Kurt and gave him a hug. " _I'll see you tomorrow. Wear your zoo shirt, okay? I'll wear mine._ "

" _See you_!" Kurt walked toward the main office.

Kurt made it to the testing classroom with ten minutes to spare. He just sat in his chair thinking about the zoo and the aquarium - calming thoughts of fish swimming around. After three hours, he was finally finished. All of his AP Exams were done. He headed back to the office to sign out and waited a few minutes to speak the headmaster to thank him for the kindness he had shown him and to tell him about his music scholarship to college.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Back in the Navigator, he put in a Lady Gaga CD and hit the road for Lima. He decided that he'd just wait until he got home to eat lunch. The drive back seemed to go faster than the drive over yesterday morning. He pulled in the driveway, grabbed his satchel and duffle, and went inside. He peeked in the garage door and Carole's car was in the garage. He took his bags upstairs, changed his clothes and went to the kitchen to make some lunch, only to find that Carole had beaten him to it. He sat and she put a plate of food in front of him on the counter.

"You're the best, you know that, right? And not just because you feed me, although I do appreciate that." He started eating right away. "How did you know I hadn't eaten already?"

"You got here too early to have eaten somewhere else. It's only 12:45. So, I'm here and you're here. What did you want to talk about?"

Kurt ate and spoke about his conflicting feelings about sharing his college destination with his Gleemates. He explained about how he just felt isolated from them and part of it was because he had distanced himself ever since the incident in Glee. He talked about Rachel's overbearing need to get what she wanted and to be in the spotlight.

Carole listened carefully while he spoke. When he finished, she took his plate and put it in the dishwasher. "Grab your drink and let's go in the family room downstairs."

They talked and talked. Kurt eventually got his phone out and started showing Carole his pictures from Chicago. She could see in his eyes how much he had loved the aquarium especially. After looking through all of the Chicago pictures, he moved on to the pictures from the zoo the day before. They were laughing and talking and didn't hear that Finn had walked in behind them.

"Why are you spending time with that lowlife Sebastian? Where are you in that picture?"

Kurt and Carole were startled and turned to look at Finn.

"That 'lowlife' is my friend. He apologized. I forgave him. At least he meant it, unlike other people."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Finn moved around the couch to sit in the armchair.

"You apologized to me about what you said in my old room in the basement, but you didn't mean it."

"I did too."

"Then explain this." Kurt replayed the voice memo that had accidentally captured Finn's outburst in Chicago.

Finn had the deer in the headlights look on his face while Carole listened to the recording.

"Finnegan Christopher Hudson. What is the meaning of that?"

He shrugged and tried not to meet her gaze.

"That's not an answer. Why on earth would you say those things to Kurt?"

"Mom, the Cheerios were smack talking and saying how Sam was Kurt's new boyfriend since Sam spent the night in Kurt's room on Wednesday and then spent the whole day with him at the lame museums instead of going with us guys to the Chicago Cubs stadium."

"So what? You have been told plenty of times that being gay is not 'catching' and that no one chooses their sexuality. Kurt can't make Sam gay anymore than he can make me gay. Kurt is gay. He has always been gay. He was born that way. Did you choose to like girls?"

Finn just sat there.

"Answer me, FInn. Did you one day wake up and say, 'I've decided to like girls.'?"

Finn shook his head.

"You've spent more time in this house with Kurt than Sam has. You've sat at the dining room table with him more times than Sam has. Did you become gay? Do you like boys now?"

"NO."

"Finn - Kurt has spent his whole life with heterosexual people. If spending time with people and being near them made someone change their sexuality, why would Kurt still be gay? Kurt had never met anyone gay until he was 17. Seventeen years of spending time with straight people never made Kurt straight. How could sitting in a chair next to Kurt or walking through a museum with him make Sam gay?"

Finn didn't respond.

"Since it is clear to me that you did not read what I asked you to a year and a half ago, you and I will be reading through the material together. And you will be grounded until after finals. You will go to school, you will study, and you will read with me. Then we'll talk."

"Yes, Mom."

"Now, give me your phone. You need to leave it with me while you study. You don't need any distractions. Leave your computer off too."

"Yes, Mom. Can I at least text Rachel and tell her that I'm grounded?"

"One text. Then hand me the phone." Finn stood, sent Rachel one text, handed Carole his phone and started to leave the room. Kurt got up too.

Kurt moved to intercept Finn. "Remember that you walked in on a private conversation. Private means that you don't tell anyone because it's none of your business."

"You mean like the PRIVATE conversation that we had and YOU recorded."

"Well, recording it was an accident, but your attitude wasn't. I was recording something and when I laid the phone down to answer your incessant knocking, I guess I didn't hit the button to stop the recording. The difference between that conversation and the one I was having with Carole is that this is my family too and Carole needed to know how you felt about me and how you've treated me. Sebastian being my friend doesn't affect you or anyone you know."

"He's right, honey." Carole interjected.

"Fine. I understand. Talking about Sebastian to anyone is off limits." Finn ran up the two flights of stairs to his room.

Once he had left, Carole said, "Oh Kurt," putting her hand over his, "I had no idea he still had any of those crazy ideas in his head."

"The thing is, Carole, he's not the only one. He may have actually read some of what you told him to back then, but he spends so much time around people who spout that ridiculous crap that what he read obviously didn't stick. How does that go? Something about that if you hear a lie often enough and loud enough it becomes the truth. The Glee kids are the kindest kids in the school to me. Let that really sink in. People who sided with my ex to help him sing a break up song to me for cheating are the nicest to me. Imagine the rest. I hear 'fag' more often that I hear my name each day. Santana calls me 'Lady Lips'. Coach Sue calls me "Porcelain". I won't even mention the things that people who hate me call me."

Kurt closed his eyes and just breathed deeply for a few minutes.

"Maybe that helps you to see why I'm struggling. I had hoped for an ending that I'm not going to get. I'm not sure that sharing my college plans fits into the ending I got. I have to review for my finals. Thanks for lunch and for listening."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt went up to his room and lay down on his bed for a few minutes then sat straight up. He texted Sam.

To Sam: Where are you? Finn's here but I didn't see you anywhere.

From Sam: I'm at school. I guess Finn left me here. I went to the review session for English instead of Glee.

To Sam: I'll be over there in a few minutes to pick you up.

From Sam: Gotcha. I'll be out front waiting.

Kurt called out to Carole. She answered from downstairs. He went down quickly. "I'm going to go get Sam. Finn left him at school and he works this afternoon. I'll be back soon."

Kurt grabbed a bag of trail mix and a bottle of juice from the kitchen and ran out the door to go get Sam. He pulled up and Sam hopped in. Kurt handed him the snacks.

"Thanks, you're the best you know."

"Do I have time to drive back home and let you keep the Navigator?"

"Yeah. That'll be fine."

Kurt headed right back home. He hopped out and Sam jumped in the driver's seat and headed off.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

When Kurt entered the house, he could hear Carole lecturing Finn about leaving Sam behind and how Sam could have been late for work because of him. Kurt just went back to his room and reviewed for the two finals he had the next day.

When he went down to dinner, he noticed that Finn wasn't present. He didn't say anything, but he was glad to not have to eat with him that evening.

"Dinner was great Carole. Do you need help cleaning up?"

"No, sweetie. I've got it. You can go back to studying or whatever you need to do."

"I just wanted to remind you that Sam is coming with me to Westerville after school tomorrow. He and I are going to go to that Columbia outlet store to buy super warm coats for next winter with the money I got from selling the clothes I didn't wear anymore. We might buy some good boots too if we can get a good deal. We figure we'll be outside in the winter weather a lot more than we ever have been here. And it's a lot better to deal to buy a coat at the outlet when it's almost summer than to wait until they're full price next fall."

He stood to leave.

"Oh, I almost forgot with all the coat talk. We're going bowling with some of my friends from Dalton. We won't be back until late. Don't worry. Sam can study on the way over there and during my voice lesson. He's doing really well this semester."

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Kurt went back up to his room to study. Carole knocked his door about an hour later.

"I thought a lot about what you told me earlier," she said. "Will you come out back so we can talk?" "Sure." Kurt followed Carole to the swing.

"You told me a lot of really emotionally charged things earlier. I could hear the hurt and anger in your voice. But I have one question to start with. You did say that the Glee kids have been your best friends, right?"

"Yeah."

"Not THE best friends, but YOUR best friends. If you hadn't had their friendships would high school have been worse or better?"

"Worse."

"Have you even talked to any of them since the break up?"

"Not really. I talked to Santana briefly in Chicago."

"I'm sure that if you compare their friendships with the ideal friendship, they are coming up short." Kurt nodded. "But if you compare them on a much more local scale of friendships at McKinley, they're on top. Maybe they did the best they could, maybe they didn't, but they did a lot better than the majority."

"You're right."

"The question comes down to whether you can live with yourself if you shun the only people who ever attempted to include you or attempted to be your friend, even if they were very flawed friends or not very good at being your friend. If you turn on them now, they might wonder whether it was even worth trying to be friends with someone so different from themselves."

Kurt thought about what she said for a few minutes. "You're right. I don't want all of them to remember me as the guy who threw a three-week tantrum at the end of my senior year. And even though I see the situation completely differently than they do, I can see your point that since I have not explained my viewpoint at all or listened to them. I haven't given any of them the chance to apologize. I'll go to the final Glee sessions this week and if anyone tries to apologize to me, I'll listen."

"That's a good idea. I still see your point about not sharing where you're going, but that's up to you."

"I think it's just gotten harder the last few weeks because Rachel's been in full-blown crazy mode since she choked her audition and I've seen what it's like to have a real friend who isn't influenced at all by the ridiculousness of Lima homophobia. The strangest thing is that, other than Sam, I'd say that Sebastian is my best friend now. I used to use that term for Mercedes or Rachel, but my relationship with them has always been lopsided. It was like I was their sidekick, not an equal. And while Sam and I are best friends, I have limited our contact in social settings and at school to protect him from the inevitable public harassment that would come from hanging out with me in public. He has enough to overcome. He shouldn't have to endure the crap people would give him for hanging out with me. I mean, seriously, one night in my hotel room and one day with me at museums and the Cheerios that went with us to Nationals turned it into a scandal. Being with Sebastian over in Westerville is not like that. He goes to a school where he is not bullied and he wasn't bullied in France. He's open. He's not afraid to touch me or be seen with me. That hesitation isn't there on either side. I'm not saying that Sam is the one being hesitant. He's a really good guy. It's just such a breath of fresh air to just go to a restaurant and eat with Sebastian and not be looked at like we are morally depraved. He hugs me like there should be no reason not to. It's liberating and... it makes me realize what I've been forced to miss out on my whole life. But you're right that I shouldn't take out my resentment on the only people who at least tried to be different from the terrible name-calling, bullying people at school."

"I can't imagine facing what you've faced for so long. While I will miss you terribly, I'm glad you're moving to a place that's more accepting."

"Me too. Thanks for being awesome and confronting my pigheadedness."

"You're not pigheaded. If you were, you would have tuned me out. You were hurt by people you trusted and that's hard to deal with."

"You're right, yet again. Thanks for the talk. I need to get to bed. I have two finals tomorrow and then a lot of driving tomorrow afternoon and evening."

"Good night, honey."

"Good night."

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Wednesday morning Kurt did not have to get up as early as he did on Monday, but since he spent time talking to Carole the night before, he didn't get his bag packed last night for that afternoon. He grabbed some cargo shorts, his chucks, and the zoo t-shirt and shoved them in his duffle that had previously held all the books he'd been studying for weeks. He tossed in a hoodie just in case. He dressed casually for him, but still wore a button up, long pants and boots. He knocked on Sam's door to make sure he was up. Fifteen minutes later, they were on their was to McKinley for the first day of finals.

The schedule was different for the seniors. They had two hours to take each final and the last two periods of the day, the teachers held review sessions or graded papers. Lunch was after their finals. Glee had met on Monday and Tuesday, but Kurt didn't know about today. He'd have to find Santana and ask her. His Spanish final was not hard and the Psychology final was so much easier than the AP exam he had taken and he finished each of them long before the two-hour time limit was up. Fortunately, he had his Kindle in his satchel. After completing each test, he turned it face down, and he quietly read until the bell rang.

At lunch he found Santana and she told him that whoever showed up to Glee showed up because some of the seniors mentioned going to the help/study sessions that afternoon. The underclassmen would only be there for last period. She told him the assignment was to sing a goodbye song. He decided that he would go to Glee for both hours the following two days.

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Kurt and Sam left when the final lunch bell rang. They drove straight to the outlet store. Kurt talked to Sam about Carole's perspective on what had been going on. Kurt asked Sam what he had heard through the rumor mill.

"Mostly all I've heard are complaints that you just iced them out. Not reading their texts or listening to their voicemails has gotten them pretty aggravated with you. All the school days you've missed have created rumors that you've been sick or that a close relative is sick. People have come up with all sorts of ideas and since you're not giving them any real information, they fill in the blanks what whatever inane idea pops into their heads."

"Well, I'm going to go to Glee tomorrow and Friday, both periods. What tests do you have tomorrow?"

"Spanish and Art."

"I have Calculus and English."

"Grab your Spanish review sheet and I'll help you with anything you don't already know."

Kurt answered Sam's questions and helped him review his verb forms for a while and then Sam went back to reviewing vocabulary words. He studied right up until they drove into the outlet parking lot.

"Let's go find some warm coats. If they have really good deals, maybe we can look a getting some good winter boots too," Kurt said.

They spoke to a clerk about what they were looking for. They each tried on several coats and Kurt managed to change into his shorts, t-shirt, and Chucks in the dressing room. They ended up finding something suitable for both of them for under $100. Kurt pulled Sam over to look at the boots.

"Let's see if we can find some comfortable ones that are both warm and waterproof. And if the fashion gods are looking out for me, the boots will look good with the coat that I've picked out."

Sam laughed at him.

They both tried on several pairs of boots and eventually settled on some boots that fit the requirements, and on the upside, they didn't look bad with Kurt's coat. It was definitely the best they were going to do. They got both coats and both pairs of boots for a little under $200, which was less than the original price tag on Sam's coat alone. They were thrilled to have found what they needed at such a good price.

Kurt opened the hatch of the Navigator and realized that he had forgotten to pull up the third rows seats. With Sam's help, it was quick and painless. They slid their bags in the narrow space behind the back row and set off for Dalton.

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Kurt pulled into the spot closest to the oak tree, where the four Warblers were waiting for them. He had reminded them all to dress casual for their "hick" activity night. He had never seen Thad dressed down before. He was wearing an Avatar t-shirt. Sam shot out of the passenger seat and walked straight up to Thad and said something in Na'vi. Thad's face lit up and he had a huge smile on his face and responded to Sam in Na'vi. _Well, that was easy_ , thought Kurt.

"I see that you've made a new friend already," Kurt said to Sam. "Sam, this is Thad. Thad, Sam. Of course, you've met Nick, Jeff, and Sebastian."

Sam ignored the other reintroductions, turning back to Thad. "Oh, my God. You speak Na'vi. You're the first person I've met in Ohio that does. This is awesome!" Sam bounced up and down in excitement.

"Come on guys. Climb in."

Kurt folded the backseat on the driver's side forward, and then flipped it up so that Sam and Thad could climb into the third row seats. He pushed the backseat back into position and latched it in place and Nick and Jeff climbed in the middle row. He climbed in the driver's side and Sebastian was already in the passenger seat ready to go. Kurt pulled out and everyone in the back two rows started talking at the same time.

Sebastian just looked back and laughed at them. " _Well, that was easy._ "

" _It was_ ," Kurt said as he smiled. He focused on driving instead of the crazy chatter from the back of the car. It didn't take long to get to the bowling alley. They all piled out and got in line for shoes, except Kurt, who was standing at the end of the counter facing the bowling lanes talking to an employee.

"Hey, aren't you going to bowl with us?" Jeff asked. "It WAS your idea after all."

"I'm bowling." He picked up the bag he had placed on the floor and placed it up on the counter.

Sebastian was first in line and moved down near Kurt once he had his shoes. " _Of course. You have your own shoes and ball don't you? I should have known._ " Sebastian was smirking.

Kurt's expression dropped. Kurt responded, " _I thought you had already figured out that I'm not a stuck-up princess._ "

Sebastian sighed in frustration. " _I meant that I should have known that you were good enough at this to have your own equipment and that you are going to kick our butts._ "

" _Oh_ ," he replied, obviously completely unused to anyone considering him to be a threat at any sport.

Kurt switched back to English. "My dad and I used to bowl in a father/son league when I was in junior high. He and the other guys from the shop did it as a group. Fortunately for me, my feet haven't grown since 8th grade, so the shoes still fit."

Kurt said, "This way. We've got lane 8. Who wants to put our names in?"

Jeff jumped to the seat in front of the computer and put in everyone's names while the others went to look for balls. "Nick, grab one for me, okay?" Nick nodded.

Jeff got all their names in by the time they all returned with their balls.

"Alright, does everyone actually know the rules to this game?" Kurt looked around at the group.

"Definitely, dude," Sam answered.

"Don't call me 'dude'." Kurt responded automatically, having said it so many times before.

"How about 'his dudeness, duder, or el dudorino'?" Thad asked.

Sam lifted his hand for a high five with Thad. " _The Big Lebowski_ rocks."

The other four looked at each other cluelessly. Sam and Thad just laughed.

"Well, Nick and I have played Wii bowling, so I think we've got a basic understanding," said Jeff.

"No clue," said Sebastian. Kurt nudged Sebastian into a seat and began to explain the rules as Nick, Jeff, and Thad took their first turns.

By the time it was Sebastian's turn, he knew what he was supposed to do. He had watched everyone before him go and moved to pick up his ball. He approached and rolled the ball down the lane - straight into the gutter.

He turned and struck his best Elvis pose and said, "Thank you, thank you very much."

They all laughed.

They played the entire game laughing at each other's feeble attempts at knocking pins down. Only Kurt and Sam were successful at knocking down more than a few at a time. The lead switched back and forth between them during the game, but Kurt pulled out a strike on the last frame and pulled ahead of Sam right at the end.

"Well, that was definitely interesting," Thad said. "Maybe we should try the cow tipping next time," he laughed. "Maybe there's more fun to be had with hick pastimes than I had originally considered."

Kurt and Sam just rolled their eyes.

"So, pizza here at the bowling alley? Or do you guys want to go somewhere else to eat?" Kurt asked.

"Have you eaten the pizza here before? Is it decent?" Sam asked.

"It's actually pretty good. Dad, Carole, Finn and I came here one Saturday when they came to visit me at Dalton last year.

"Then, let's just stay here," Jeff said.

They took their bowling shoes back up and traded for their own shoes and changed. Sebastian was done first since he had worn slip on Vans and he took out his credit card and paid their bill before anyone could notice or protest.

They moved to the concession area and ordered drinks and a couple of extra large pizzas. They filled their cups at the fountain, found an empty table they could all fit at and sat and waited for their pizzas.

"So, are we on for Cedar Point this Monday?" Kurt asked.

"Definitely," said Nick.

"Well, I'm not sure where all of you live. Let's figure out the best place to meet," Kurt said.

They spent a while consulting a map on Kurt's phone. "Okay, I think the best place to meet is at Sebastian's. He has room for the rest of you to leave your cars there and his place is on the way for Thad, Nick and Jeff and it's definitely closer to them than driving all the way to Lima."

They all nodded.

"So, we'll meet at Sebastian's at 8:00 in the morning so we can get to the park pretty early." Kurt heard sighing. "I know it's early, but it'll be fun."

Sebastian texted Jeff, Nick, and Thad his address.

"What if I just call my dad and see if everyone can stay at my place Sunday night? Then no one will have to get up so early."

Sebastian stepped to the corner of the snack bar area where it was quieter and called his dad.

Kurt heard their number called. "Sam, come with me to grab the pizzas?" He nodded.

They headed back with the pizzas and put them on the table. Sebastian was already back at the table. When Kurt and Sam sat down, Sebastian said, "My dad's fine with it. As long as we don't disturb him or make extra work for the housekeeper."

"We can do that," Thad said. "We'll just get up, grab some breakfast sandwiches and coffee at McDonald's and head to Cedar Point."

"Did you guys order your tickets yet?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, that's a good idea," Jeff said.

While they were waiting for the pizza to cool a bit, Jeff, Nick, Sebastian, and Thad went to the Cedar Point website and ordered their tickets.

"Is the unlimited drink ticket a good idea?" Jeff asked.

"Definitely," Sam said. "You don't even have to carry around a refillable cup. You just show your drink ticket and can get as many drinks as you want throughout the day."

"Ooh. Good deal," Nick said.

They all added the drink option to their purchase before finishing their order and paying.

They all took slices of pizza and started eating.

"You were right, Kurt. This pizza's pretty good. This was a fun idea," Thad said.

Jeff asked Kurt and Sebastian about their t-shirts.

Kurt answered, "The zoo was really cool. Neither of us had ever been. If you get the chance you should definitely go before you leave for college."

Jeff looked at Nick. "What do you think? Sam, Thad? We could go the day after we go to Cedar Point. Sam could just come stay with one of us and then we can drive to the zoo the next day."

The boys all started talking all at once making arrangements.

"Okay. I live closest to the zoo according to the map. So, how about we all just stay at my house Monday night and Tuesday we'll head to the zoo," Jeff offered.

"Sounds like fun. I'll trade with someone if I get scheduled to work that evening. Are you sure that one of you can take me back to Lima at some point? I don't want to make Kurt come get me. He's driven to Westerville like four times in two weeks and he's the one driving us to Cedar Point."

Nick said, "I'm sure it won't be a problem."

The four of them exchanged numbers and got everything arranged.

Eventually the pizza ran out and they tossed the trash and returned the pizza trays to the collection area. Kurt grabbed his bag and they all went out to the Navigator and climbed back in. They were all still talking when Kurt pulled into the school lot. He pulled up near the dorm building doors this time.

"Thanks for inviting us," Jeff said, as he folded his seat he up so that Sam and Thad could get out.

"Yeah, this was a lot of fun," Thad added.

"See you both on Monday," Nick said.

Sam climbed into the passenger seat, shut his door and rolled the window down. The four Dalton students were on the sidewalk, about to turn up the path that led to the dorm building, when they turned back to wave.

Suddenly, Sebastian started singing, "So long, farewell, auf weidersehen, goodbye... goodbye... goodbye..."

The other three caught on quickly, started singing along, stood in a line, started twirling and waved.

Kurt and Sam started laughing and responded singing the final "Goodbye" and waved back.

They pulled out of the lot and headed back to Lima.

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Once they were on the highway, Sam spoke up. "Well, you were right. Sebastian is not at all how I thought he'd be. He's actually a really nice guy and funny too."

"I'm glad that you see it too. So," he paused. "Thad's a geek of the highest order, I see." That statement made Sam laugh.

"He's awesome. He loves comic books and graphic novels too. He writes stories, some original, some fanfiction," Sam said. He's going to Brown in the fall. I didn't tell anyone our plans, in case you're wondering."

"I told Sebastian on Monday. I've been thinking about it a lot. I don't really feel like telling any of the New Directions. I know that seems odd, but somehow I feel like this is for us. Not for them. I don't know. I thought I'd want to brag about it and tell everyone that I AM good enough and that I'd gotten a scholarship to study music, but now I'm not so sure. What do you think?"

"I think I get it. Rachel has pushed the New York idea all year. I can see how telling everyone that you're going to Connecticut will give them, and Rachel specifically, the opportunity to point out that you didn't get your dream either. Even though a full scholarship to a great school would be anyone's dream. I can see how they could turn it around and make it seem not at amazing as it is. So, it's up to you. I'll go along with whatever you decide. They have no reason to expect me to say anything about where I'll be next fall, since they all know that I'm not graduating this year. They just expect me to be back at McKinley in the fall with Artie, Tina and the others."

"Right. I'll let you know when I've made up my mind about sharing my college plans with anyone else. You can still decide whether to let anyone know that you're coming with me. I can keep that quiet, even if I decide to share my information. Right now, I'm leaning toward just leaving and not telling anyone in Lima where I'm going."

They spent the rest of their drive back to Lima talking about their finals, the end of school, and their Cedar Point trip.

Kurt looked for Carole when he got home. He thanked her again for her perspective on what he was dealing with. She asked how his evening had gone.

"It was great. I spent four hours with a group of friends. Two out of six of us openly identify as gay, none of us were called derogatory names and I wasn't called anything emasculating. I also beat all of them," he laughed. "I actually had a lot of fun."

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Kurt's English and Calculus finals went smoothly. He used the extra time he had after each test to psych himself up to follow through with his plan to try to reconcile with the New Directions. Although, he was still going to actively avoid one-on-one time with Rachel to avoid listening to more of her drama.

When lunch period started, he grabbed some food and went to sit at the New Directions table. "Long time, no see, Lady Face." was his first greeting.

"Hey, Santana."

"Where've you been?" Mercedes asked.

"You know I've sent you like 40 texts that you haven't responded to?" Tina said.

"You missed Girls' Night for the first time, like ever." Brittany said. "I missed you. You do the best job of getting the cute stickers on my nails."

For the first time in a couple of weeks, he felt like a part of the group again. He needed to remember what he had said to Sebastian about Puck - about how treating people badly when they are trying to do the right thing doesn't help.

Kurt spoke loudly enough to get everyone's attention, "Hey everyone - I'm sorry about the texts and phone calls that I deleted or ignored. I was just overwhelmed at the time and needed time alone to get myself back together. I'm coming to Glee with all of you and I even have my song ready."

"Yay!" Brittany clapped.

"So, what's everyone been up to?" Kurt figured if he could get them all talking about themselves that they'd stop asking him questions.

"Well, Britt and I are going to Louisville to be cheerleaders."

"Yeah, I'm super excited," Brittany said.

"I bet you are. That sounds like fun," Kurt said.

"I'm going to New York to study dance," Mike said.

People chimed in offering congratulations.

"I'm just glad that I'm getting out of school. I think I need to see someone to help me figure out what to do, but Miss Pillsbury never seems to be of much actual help. I don't need a pamphlet." Puck stated.

Artie spoke up, "Maybe not, but maybe she has like a list of local resources or something."

"That's possible. I should go ask her. I was dead set on getting out of here, but I just can't leave my little sister behind. I'll go see Miss P now and see what she has to offer. I'll be in Glee in a little bit." Puck left the table. A few minutes later the final lunch bell rang and all the seniors headed to the choir room.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Mr. Schue came in. "Since only the seniors are here, we're going to work on the song that you all chose to sing to the underclassmen." He handed out the sheet music and they worked on "You Get What You Give". Puck came in a few minutes later and picked up a bass and joined in. Sam played his guitar, but didn't sing. After running through the song several times, Mr. Schue let the seniors just sit and talk to eat other until the rest of the students arrived for last period.

Artie asked Puck, "So, did she have anything useful?"

"Actually, maybe. It's a list of social services. Once I graduate, I might be able to do something about some things that I couldn't do anything about before. There's like some job training places and some way to get an apartment cheap maybe. I don't know, but I'm gonna call these places and see what I can find out."

"Hey, don't feel bad that you're not running off to college like some of us. Your sister is important. And if you need to be here for her, then you gotta do that. You can go to college later. How old is she?" Artie asked.

"She's 12 going on 20. She's hit the 'she knows everything and I know nothing stage'. She was easier to deal with when she was younger."

"Well, I hope you find some answers you need."

"Me too, me too."

On the other side of the room, Mercedes was attempting to grill Kurt about his missing days of school.

"It's not something I want to talk about and no, I'm not dying from anything. It's just personal."

"Alright, alright. I'll let it go, but I didn't appreciate you ignoring me all that time."

"I already said I was sorry," Kurt offered.

"I know. I'll quit hounding you."

"Have you heard my news?"

"Do tell."

"I was offered a contract as a back up singer on an indie label in LA. Someone saw that video of me from disco week that Sam posted to YouTube."

Kurt jumped up and hugged her. "That's amazing, Mercedes. Oh, my God! That's awesome. Tell me the details."

Mercedes spent the rest of the period giving him the details that she had about moving out to LA.

When the underclassmen arrived, the seniors moved to the floor and sang the song that they had prepared for them.

After everyone sat down, Mr. Schue asked if anyone was prepared to sing their goodbye song. Kurt stood and moved down front.

"High school was a rough time for me. Most of you know that things got so bad at one point that I had to transfer away for while." His eyes turned toward Blaine, but he refocused quickly before actually making eye contact. "But those of you in this room made my high school experience better than it ever would have been without you. So, despite our disagreements and misunderstandings, all of you have been the good part of high school and I'll always remember our time together." Kurt sang, "I'll Remember".

After Kurt sat down, Tina stood up. "I know that I'm not leaving and I don't know if I was even supposed to prepare a song, but I did. I'm really going to miss you guys when you're gone." She sang, "Farewell", by Rihanna.

Puck slipped out of his seat and went down to the floor, "Well, while those two have us in tears, my song is not going to make you cry. I wanted to lighten the mood a bit."

The band started with a Mariachi introduction, then Puck sang out "50 Ways to Say Goodbye" by Train. Everyone clapped and quite a few people were laughing. He bowed deeply when finished, saying "You're welcome." And went to sit back down.

"Well, that was different, Puck. But I do appreciate the effort. Anyone else?"

"Yeah, Mr. Schue. I'm ready." Quinn got up. A simple piano introduction started. She sang, "I'm Movin' On" by Rascal Flatts. She did an amazing job with her simple version of the country song.

"That was lovely Quinn."

Mercedes stood up and sang a more upbeat version of "Graduation" by Vitamin C. After she finished, she shared, "For those of you who haven't heard yet, I've gotten a job as a back up singer for an indie label out in LA. I'll be heading out there soon." Her announcement was followed by rounds of clapping and cheering.

"The rest of you can perform tomorrow. You all can leave a little early today. Good job, guys."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt had stopped by his locker quickly and Sam was waiting for him into the Navigator.

"Just one more day. We have just one more day." Sam said as Kurt climbed in.

"I know, it just doesn't seem real still."

"We only have one final left. Mine's Algebra 2 and yours is..." Sam waited for Kurt's answer.

"French. When we get home, I'll help you with your Algebra 2 review sheet if you want. I don't need to review for French."

"That would be great. Maybe you can set some more of my formulas to music so I can remember them better," Sam hinted.

"I remember doing that. That was fun," he laughed and sang one of them.

They pulled in the driveway and the lawn mower and weed eater were sitting in the front yard. "You think that's a hint from Dad that the lawn didn't get mowed this week?"

"Let's do it really quick, even though I know that Finn was supposed to do it on Monday. Go change. You want the mowing or the trimming this time?" Sam asked.

"Mowing. I'll be right back."

Kurt changed and started mowing the yard. They finished about the same time. Sam was putting new string on the weed eater when Kurt brought the mower back.

"Ugh. I'm gross. Showers, then snack, then Algebra 2, GO!" And they ran into the house, up to their rooms and jumped in their showers.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The freshly showered duo met back in the kitchen where they found Burt with a veggie tray and lemonade. "Thank you boys."

"Mmm," Sam stuffed cauliflower in his mouth. He swallowed and said, "You're welcome. He guzzled the lemonade grabbed a handful of veggies and turned to Kurt. "I gotta go. I remembered when I was in the shower that I have a shift tonight. I don't usually work on Thursdays. I'll have to study when I get back. See ya!" And Sam was gone.

"Well, that was quick," Burt said.

"He took as many shifts as he could this week to make up for not being able to work last week. He's working tomorrow night, two shifts Saturday and Sunday morning, too."

"He's a hard worker, that's for sure. How are things going this week? I haven't seen you in forever."

"Well, they're better. I've worked through some of the stuff I was dealing with. Carole's been a big help."

"So, one day left of high school, huh?"

"Yes. It's so strange. But I think I'm ready to move on. I sent our signed lease in last week. I've sorted everything, sold off my old clothes, bought a few things that I needed, like a really warm winter coat and boots."

"So, the France trip is still on, right?"

"Definitely. I just haven't had time to get excited really. There's been so much going on. Sebastian is really great. He and I have a lot more in common than I thought and he's a lot of fun to be around. We get along really well."

"Well, I know how much your mom would have wanted you to go and I'm sure your grandparents are thrilled."

"When are you leaving?"

"The evening of my birthday. I fly back June 17th."

"Do you want a party this year?"

"Not really. I think that the graduation party Finn and Rachel are planning will be enough partying for me. How long are you going to be in town?"

"I'm going back Sunday evening."

"I feel like I keep missing you when you're here. I'm scheduled at the garage all day Saturday. It's been so long since I could go in that I'm working 12 hours to make up for it. And then Sunday morning too. I was going to go in when no one was there and take care of all of the paperwork and misc. things that have probably piled up while we've both been so busy. Sam and I are going to Sebastian's Sunday night and staying over then going to Cedar Point with three guys from Dalton."

"Hey, write up a list of dates when you will be here this summer. I'll do my best to be sure to be home when you're here."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Do you need to study for tomorrow?"

"No, it's my French final and then the seniors are straightening up the stage area and storing the costumes during the time when we would have a final for Glee."

"What are you and Sam going to do for furniture. That apartment isn't furnished is it?"

"No, it's not. We figured we'd buy beds when we get there and probably a kitchen table. It's not ideal to have to share it to study and then to clear it to eat, but it'll do until we can buy desks. We figured we'd check Craiglist and local resale shops after we get out there. I've been window shopping on Ikea's website for a while, just for the fun of it. I was thinking of asking for Kohl's gift cards for graduation and my birthday. So, if anyone asks, you can tell them that. We can get pretty much anything we'd need there, except furniture. So, I can use the cards to get dishes, towels, sheets and stuff. They run big sales too. Stuff ends up costing less than WalMart, with better quality."

"Well, I'll trust you on that. That's your area of expertise. You're the shopper, not me."

"Sam and I scored those coats and boots for under $200 the other day at the Columbia outlet."

"Good deal. You'll need those this winter. Those fancy dress coats you wear won't keep you warm and dry walking around on campus."

"Do you have anything you have to do this evening? I know Carole is busy with Finn."

"Yeah, she told me about that. That boy needs to get his head on straight. He's still saying he's going to marry Rachel, like next month. She's 17. I can't stop him, and if Hiram and Leroy are willing to sign the form, they can go through with it."

"I know."

"How about we completely break our diets and go out to the Burger Shack on the edge of town near where the drive-in used to be? We haven't been out there in like a year and a half."

"Okay. Let's go."

"I'm going to go tell Carole. Go get in the car."

Burt and Kurt spent the evening enjoying themselves. Kurt even broke out the Ikea app and the app where he was planning the apartment. Burt laughed and pointed out that it was the perfect app for people who liked to plan as much as Kurt did. They indulged in burgers, fries and milkshakes. It was an evening to remember, which is just what Kurt needed with his dad.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt set the formulas that Sam needed to remember to songs after he and Burt got back from the restaurant. Once Sam got back, Kurt taught him the songs and helped him with his Algebra 2 review sheet.

"One more day," Kurt thought as he went to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Friday morning started off like most other school days for the previous four years, but the feeling of finality hit Kurt as he awoke. "Last day of high school, here I come." He put on the fabulous outfit he had picked out for the occasion. He found Carole in the kitchen, but he wasn't that surprised because he figured that she had planned a special breakfast. They all ate their fill of pancakes, eggs, turkey sausage and French toast. It was sort of a substitute family dinner since Sam would be at work that evening.

Sam and Kurt rode together as usual and parked in the same area as usual. What was unusual was that Coach Beiste met them with a "Mornin', boys," as they walked past the dumpster. She winked at Kurt when he looked over at her.

He finished his French test in record time and spent the rest of the time finishing the book he had on his Kindle. Afterward, he met all of the seniors in the auditorium to straighten everything up and get it all packed away neatly for the summer. Kurt put his iPod in the docking station and they all sang along and talked while they worked. By lunch, they had gotten everything put back in order.

All of the Glee club sat together for their final lunch period together. It was sort of solemn at the table until Artie started rapping some ridiculous song that got them all laughing. When Kurt left the lunch room to go to the choir room, he ran into his dad in the hall. His dad led him back to the auditorium and had him sit in the front row. Then he got up on stage and performed "Single Ladies" with Tina and Brittany. Kurt laughed and smiled so much he could hardly contain it. After the song ended, his dad left and Kurt headed back to the choir room. He sat next to Sam.

"You'll never believe what my dad just did. Best graduation present ever!"

"What? It must have been funny, tell me."

"He just did 'Single Ladies' with Tina and Britt. It was AWESOME. I love my dad."

"Your dad is awesome. I bet it was great."

Kurt turned to Puck, "Did you call any of those places?"

"Yeah, yeah I did. I got an appointment with a guy next week. He's going to see what he can do to help me."

"That's great."

"I hope he can. I just... well, I just can't do it on my own."

"I know."

Britt came up and sat in Kurt's lap. "How about you do my nails one last time while we wait for everyone else to get here. I brought my stuff. Come on," she said as she stood and dragged him over to her nail kit on the table by the door. "I need you to make them look like dinosaur feet. I'm doing this cool song for Prom tomorrow night."

"Um, okay, Britt. I'll try."

"Are you coming to Prom?"

"No, I'm working tomorrow."

"But it's our last prom."

"I know, but I'm working."

"I'll miss you."

"Thanks, Britt. How's this?" as he showed her what he'd done with her nails.

"I like it. Thanks!"

"You're welcome."

By then, the underclassmen started arriving. They assembled at the front to sing "In My Life" by the Beatles to the seniors. This brought some tears and hugs.

They sat around for a while discussing a date and time for a graduation party since this was the last Glee practice of the year. They chose a week from Sunday at noon. A cookout at the Hummel-Hudson home would be the venue. A sign up sheet for food items was passed around. After everything had been planned, Rachel spoke up.

"Mr. Schue, are we going to sing?"

"If anyone else wants to sing a goodbye song, the floor is open."

They all sat there looking around. No one said anything or got up. "Well, I guess not," Mr. Schuester said.

Then, Rachel stood up. "Well, I'd like to go then."

She moved to the floor. I am going to sing a song to this school and to Lima. It's not technically a goodbye song, but it expresses my reason for leaving. Kurt immediately recognized the intro to Streisand's "I'm the Greatest Star".

"Oh, my God," he thought. He did everything in his power not to roll his eyes and to stay in his chair through the entire song. Surely her ego could not get any bigger. He managed to make it until the end without doing anything to give away his feelings about her proclamation. Everyone clapped for her because there was nothing else polite to do.

"Well Rachel, that was definitely a different take on the assignment." Rachel curtsied and went back to her seat.

Mr. Schue started again, "I wanted to tell you what a pleasure it's been to have led this group for the past three years. We are going to miss the seniors that are graduating. I need to talk to those of you who signed up to perform at Prom tomorrow evening, so please stay for a few minutes. The rest of you are free to go. We'll see you at Prom tomorrow evening and at Graduation next Saturday."

Everyone except Kurt and Sam stayed behind. Kurt and Sam walked toward Sam's locker. Sam said, "Just wait by Miss Pillsbury's office. I'll be right back. I need to make sure that I haven't left anything in my locker in the locker room. Then I'll grab my stuff from my locker and meet you by her office. I'll be quick."

Kurt stood in front of the glass windows of Miss Pillsbury's office. She noticed him there and peeped out and asked him to step inside, closing the door behind them. "I hope that all of your exams went well and that you really enjoy your time in Connecticut. I've always felt bad that I could not do more for you here. Maybe one day sexual orientation will be a protected class in all 50 states and schools will have more leverage to discipline for name-calling and bullying. My hope is that all schools will have a policy like Dalton's."

"I'd like to see that as well. My exams went well. Some were harder than others, as expected. I'll know my scores the middle of July, I believe."

"Well, good luck in the fall."

"Thank you."

Kurt saw Sam looking at him confused from the hallway. He moved to the door, pulled it open quickly, and he and Sam exited the building. They saw Coach Beiste in a camping chair, reading a book and sipping a Powerade by the dumpster. "Nice day out, isn't it boys?"

"Quite lovely," Kurt replied. He smiled and winked at her.

Kurt and Sam got in the truck. "What was that about?" Sam asked.

"Well, she and I talked for a few minutes in the lobby the day I stayed back and studied when everyone went out in Chicago. I mentioned how I was expecting a farewell dumpster toss before and/or after school. She told me that she'd make sure that didn't happen. And she did. She's awesome."

"That's so cool. She is awesome."

"Let's get you to work to earn the moolah. Better yet, I'll get out at home and you can take the Navigator since I don't need it."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt went up to his room and texted Sebastian.

To Sebastian: _It's done._

From Sebastian: ?

To Sebastian: _High school._

From Sebastian: _Yes. You're right. We are no longer high school students._

To Sebastian: _What are your plans for the evening?_

From Sebastian: _Boxing up stuff in my room to ship to my dorm. I have no intention of coming here for school breaks. So, all my winter clothes are going into boxes._

To Sebastian: _Please tell me that the terrible striped rugby shirt you wore to Scandals was in one of those boxes we left at Goodwill._

From Sebastian: _Maybe?_

Kurt called him. " _What do you mean maybe?_ "

" _What's wrong with rugby shirts?_ " Sebastian laughed.

" _That question has too many answers._ "

" _Snooty, I see._ "

" _No, fashionable. You've said my fashion sense is good before, you know._ "

" _Slip of the tongue._ "

" _Yeah, right._ "

" _I think you should perhaps just let us go shopping in France for a new winter wardrobe for you. A dashing Yale gentleman such as yourself just shouldn't be caught wearing rugby shirts._ "

" _Well, I might consider a single shopping trip with you. Maybe_."

" _Only one shopping trip in France? So, you're planning on taking me on the best vacation of my life, only to torture me once I get there?_ "

" _So funny you are. Ha, ha. You can go shopping with my mom. She'll love it. Maybe she'll even take you to work with her one day._ "

" _Why would I want to go to work with your mom? What does she do?_ "

" _She works for Vogue Paris._ "

Kurt sat in stunned silence.

" _Kurt, are you there?_ "

Kurt tried to reign in his enthusiasm, " _I would definitely want to go to work with your mom. That would be amazing, but I'm sure she can't just take random people with her. I'd be in the way or something._ "

" _Well, we'll see._ "

" _Anyway, I didn't know your mom worked in fashion. How did you get away with owning that rugby shirt?_ "

" _Ah, well my dad gave Gloria, the housekeeper, his card and told her to go buy me clothes after I got here last summer._ "

" _That explains it_."

" _Honesty, since I didn't want to be here, I didn't really care what I wore. I've been wearing Dalton-issued clothing most of the time anyway. I'm actually packing my books, which I love much more than my clothes, especially ugly rugby shirts. Just so you can rest in peace, it was definitely in one of the donation boxes._ "

" _Good. Any other plans for tonight or the weekend?_ "

" _Graduation is tomorrow morning and my mom is flying in. I'm really excited to see her. And of course, I'm looking forward to all of you coming Sunday. I think Monday will be a blast. Then, I'm leaving Tuesday. And then you're coming to France to meet me the following Monday. Have you packed for France yet?_ "

" _Laundry's next on my agenda. I still have the stuff from Chicago to do. I've been too busy to get it done. So, it looks like an exciting Friday evening for Kurt Hummel in the laundry room in the basement, washing, drying, ironing and folding clothes_."

"Poor Cinderfella."

Kurt laughed.

" _Don't overpack. I'm sure you'll want to bring a few things from France back with you_."

" _I'll keep that in mind. Have fun packing your books. I need go to because I'm being called down for dinner. Then it's on to the laundry. I work a 12-hour shift tomorrow so I won't be around much, but I'll see you Sunday_."

" _See ya_."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Dinner didn't turn out to be what Kurt expected at all. He sat down at the table with his dad. There was no food on the table or anywhere that he could see. Carole and Finn came in and sat down next to each other. Finn had a notebook with him.

He began to read from the notebook:

"Being gay is not a choice. Someone can't make another person become gay. People do not choose their sexual orientation.

4-10% of the population is gay. That means in a school the size of McKinley, there are between 32 and 80 gay kids.

Gay teens are eight times more like to try to kill themselves. They are six times more likely to be depressed.

About 50% of gay males are rejected by their families when they come out. About 25% are thrown out of their own homes.

90% of gay teens report being bullied at school."

He looked up. "So basically, there are like a ton of gay kids who are all hiding who they are since there are only three of you who are out."

"Why do you think that IS, Finn?" Kurt asked. "Why do you think that there are only three out kids? You outed one of them, if you remember. And she's part of that group of gay kids that get rejected by their families. Her grandmother still won't speak to her."

Finn looked guilty.

"The other 30-80 kids won't come out because 90% of gay teens get bullied according to what you just said. Those other kids will wait until they are adults to come out or they will stay hidden behind a false mask their whole lives."

Finn didn't say anything.

"How would you feel if practically everyone around you told you that you were disgusting and that you were going to burn in hell? How would you feel if people crossed the street rather than walk next to you? How would you feel if people left a store with their children to prevent them from being exposed to your perversion? - meaning that people would take their children out of a store just to avoid the children being in the same room with you."

"Have those things actually happened to you?"

"Yes, every single one. And much worse. You participated in some of them."

"Finn Hudson," Carole started, but couldn't continue because she started to cry.

"I apologized, Mom."

"Did you mean it? Did you offer restitution?"

"I don't know what that means."

"Did you offer to pay for whatever you did?"

"Um, no. You know I didn't have any money."

"You had your allowance, plus that's not an excuse. What did he do that caused physical damage to your property, Kurt?"

"Well, slushies and dumpster dives contributed to a lot of expensive laundering and dry cleaning bills. The pee balloons were just absolutely disgusting and I threw those clothes out."

Carole looked like she was going to be sick. Burt looked shocked.

Kurt continued, "But the most expensive thing was when the football team nailed our lawn furniture to the roof and my dad had to have the roof replaced. How much did that come to, Dad?"

"Around $8,000," Burt said.

"No way," Finn responded in disbelief.

"Yes, Finn," Burt responded. "Roofing is expensive. Those nails went through the shingles and through the boards. The boards had to taken up, replaced and then the whole roof had to be reshingled. Otherwise, water would have gotten into the attic. I had to take out a loan to get the repairs done immediately. I don't just have $8,000 sitting around."

"How many of you participated?" Carole asked.

"I don't remember, maybe 7 or 8."

"Well, then $8000 divided by 8 is $1000. You'll pay Burt back the money. You'll get a job this summer and you'll pay him back. As for repaying Kurt, since I know he paid for all of his own clothes and cleaning costs out of the money he earned himself, I'm not sure about how to calculate the monetary cost. But it's not right that Kurt worked hard for the money he had and you and the bullies at school destroyed his personal property."

Finn nodded guiltily.

"Think back to Kurt's question to you earlier. When he asked you why you think that there are only three out gay kids at McKinley." Carole continued.

Kurt interjected, "Even the kids who are pretty sure that they wouldn't get kicked out - they saw what was done to me. Why would anyone else try to come out? I'm honestly somewhat hopeful. Coach Beiste isn't going to let the team get away with the things that Coach Tanaka did. You know, she hung out by the dumpster both before and after school today to make sure that I didn't get a farewell dumpster toss."

Burt spoke up. "Finn, I wonder if you realize that Kurt went through all of those things without telling me much of anything. He wouldn't even tell me who had nailed the furniture to the roof, not that he knew specific names, but he didn't rat the football team out. It makes me feel awful when I find out what he has gone through, alone. He was protecting ME and you."

The four of them just say in silence for a while.

"I don't really know what you want me to say," Finn said.

Kurt responded, "What I want you to say is that you've learned from your mistakes and that you won't treat anyone else the way that I've been treated."

"I have learned. I won't do it anymore. I had stopped. I did stop. You know that. It's been ages since I did any of those things."

"You stopped the outward behavior, but your inward belief that there is something wrong with me, that I need to be different than I am, that has not changed. If you honestly didn't think there was something wrong with me, you would have defended me from the stupid Cheerios smack talk, not come to me telling me to stop doing something I was doing."

Kurt started again. "Think about this. Someone is in a pool struggling to stay above water. You see them."

"Okay."

"What is the right thing to do? Tell them to try harder to swim to the edge? Tell them they shouldn't have fallen in? Toss a weighed ring around their neck?"

"Um, none of those things?"

"That's what you've done to me. When I was being bullied - drowning- you told me I needed to try harder to fit in, try harder to swim to the edge. You made it seem like I could choose to not be gay. That's like telling me that I shouldn't have fallen in. Bullying me yourself, like tossing a weighted ring around my neck."

"I get it."

"Those statistics about gay kids being more apt to kill themselves. Words leave emotional scars. People's injuries can be on the inside where no one can see. People eventually give up."

Kurt paused to think.

"What I want from you is to stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution. That's it. That's worth more to me than any amount of money that you could give me for ruining my clothes. I don't want your restitution. I want you to be part of the solution."

"If that's your decision, then I accept that. You're an adult and can decide for yourself," Carole said.

"Yes. That's my decision. I am glad that you've learned more this week, Finn. But you have a ways to go. You are determined to marry Rachel very soon. Her parents are gay men. You are going to spend the rest of your life with a gay stepbrother who will have a male partner and Rachel's gay dads as your family. This isn't some hypothetical thing like imaginary numbers in math. This is real. This is your life."

"I get it. I have to learn more. I will," Finn declared with certainty.

"Okay. Then the past is in the past. You'll pay my dad back because your mom told you to. And you learn more and do more to be part of the solution, not part of the problem."

"Deal."

They just sat there for a few minutes, then the doorbell rang. "That'll be the pizza I ordered for dinner," Carole said as she went to answer the door. She came back and opened the boxes in the middle of the table and put a stack of napkins out and some cans of soda. "No dishes to wash," she laughed. "Just for tonight, we'll all eat like teens." Finn polished off a whole pizza by himself, while the others split the other two pizzas, putting the leftovers in the refrigerator for Sam.

"So, movie or games?" Kurt asked.

"Movie," Finn answered.

"Fine," Kurt says. "I choose _Shelter_."

"Okay, whatever. I'll make popcorn."

They all sat and watched the movie. About three quarters of the way through, Sam came in and sat down next to Kurt eating the cold pizza.

"Dude, you like missed most of it," Finn said to Sam.

"It's okay. I've seen this one before," Sam said. "It's good."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Before he clocked in, he did a tune up on the Navigator, which he had put a lot of extra miles on in the last few weeks. Then he moved on to oil leaks, broken gaskets, transmissions, broken belts, and radiator leaks. Twelve hours of fixing cars would more than cover his recent unexpected expenditures that have come from spending time at theme parks and a museum trip, yet to be planned, with some leftover to put into savings for the move to Hartford. Tomorrow morning, he'd get all the paperwork sorted out before the shop opened.

Mid-afternoon he had an unexpected visitor.

"Hey, Kurt!" He looked up and Cassius motioned for him to go to the front to the customer service area.

"Sebastian, what are you doing here?"

"Well, my car needs a tune up. I hear this is the best place around to get that done," he said as he grinned.

"Well, you've heard right. This IS the best place to have that done. And I just happen to have one opening left this afternoon. Shall I add your name to the queue?"

"Of course."

"I'll need you to fill this out and leave your key."

"Alright. I also brought you something." He handed Kurt a small white box which he opened.

"Cheesecake?"

"Cheesecake."

"Are you trying to butter up the mechanic?"

"Nah, he's the type that will do it right without a bribe," he laughed.

"Well, that's true, but he appreciates gifts of cheesecake nonetheless. Thanks."

"So, I just sit here and wait until you get done?"

"That's generally how it works. But you can come back with me if you want. Come on." Kurt led Sebastian to the employee lounge and put his cheesecake in the fridge. He grabbed a spare pair of coveralls. "Put these on over your clothes and follow me."

They went out to the work bay area. Stay here for a minute while I pull your car in." Kurt moved the car to the empty lift and got out. "Come on over."

Sebastian stayed out of the way while Kurt detailed all of the things he was checking on the car. "Your oil is low. You should keep an eye on that. I'm going to change your oil and change one of your spark plugs that's fouled out. I'll top off the rest of your fluids and I'll replace the driver's side parking light."

"This is fun."

"I'm glad you think so," Kurt smiled. "So, do you want to go back to the waiting area or stay in here while I do all that stuff?"

"Well, I drove all the way over here, I might as well watch the show," he teased.

An hour later Kurt had finished up with all of the repairs on Sebastian's car. He pulled it back into the parking area while Sebastian waited inside. "Come on, let's get those coveralls back off." Sebastian followed him back to the lounge. Kurt waited for him and tossed the coveralls in the bin to be washed.

They went back to the customer service area. "Here's your key, sir. Please sign here. We accept cash and these credit cards," Kurt said in his most business-like voice and pointed to the sign in front of the cash register.

"So funny." Sebastian took his key, signed the form and handed over his credit card.

Kurt ran the credit card, handed Sebastian the slip to sign and waited. Sebastian slid it back to him and Kurt gave him his card back. "Thank you for your choosing Hummel Tire and Lube."

" _This was fun. When do you get off?_ "

" _Not until 7:00. I was going to stay until 8:00, but I can leave early. I can make it up tomorrow._ "

" _Is there anything interesting to do around here until you get done?_ "

" _You can play Angry Birds on your phone._ "

" _Now, you're just being mean._ "

" _Well, you've been to the Lima Bean. You've seen Breadstix. Those are the only cultural interest points. There's a DVD player back in the lounge. You can watch movies or I'm sure you have at least one book downloaded to your phone, Mr. 'I have my own library in my room'._ "

" _Okay._ "

" _You must be really bored to sit in the back room and wait for me for three hours._ " Kurt let him back into the lounge area.

" _Whatever,_ " he nudged Kurt. " _Get back to work or it's going to be longer than three hours._ "

Sebastian didn't pester Kurt at all and Kurt got the rest of the work done quickly. " _I'm done. What now?_ " Kurt asked as he went back into the lounge.

" _Well, you're the tour guide, not me. Just change and let's get going._ "

Kurt came out of the washroom. " _Okay, ready_." They went back into the customer service area so Kurt could lock everything up and go out the front.

" _Where's everyone else?_ "

" _Oh, they all left at 5:00. That's when we close. I stayed late to get a special job Cassius needed me to do._ "

" _You forgot your cheesecake._ "

" _Nope, I'm leaving it for a delicious breakfast_ ," Kurt smiled. " _I'm coming back in tomorrow at 7:00 to do inventory and billing._ "

" _So, the cultural interest point, Breadstix. I've never been there. Shall we go? How can I live with myself if I miss out on dining at such an important place?_ "

" _Now, you're the funny one. It's supposedly Italian. I'm sure it's not. The breadsticks are terrible. But if you want to go, let's do it._ "

" _Where's your Navigator?_ "

" _Sam dropped me off. He had a split shift today. 7-1 and 5-11. He went home for a while in between. Carole was going to come get me, but I texted her earlier and let her know that I had a ride._ "

" _Okay, let's go._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

A few minutes later they arrived at Breadstix. The parking lot was almost full, but Sebastian managed to find a spot at the back. They got out and walked toward the entrance. They only made it about three quarters of the way before a group of kids in fancy clothes came out, walking toward them. The Puckheads were on their way to Prom.

" _I forgot. Tonight is McKinley's Prom,_ " Kurt said to Sebastian.

The three guys in the group moved in closer in an attempt to intimidate Kurt, but Kurt stood his ground.

"Where's your dress, fag?" The first Puckhead asked.

"You might miss out on getting re-elected Prom Queen." The second Puckhead imitated putting a crown on his head.

"Nah, he's enough of a princess even without the dress," said the first Puckhead.

" _Let's just go back to my house._ "

"What is that, some fairy language?" The first one piped up again.

"Are you a homo too? You must be. You can understand his prissy language." The third one said in a high pitched tone, imitating Kurt's higher voice, while the largest of the three moved closer to Kurt.

Sebastian was moving to block Kurt, but Kurt turned him around quickly and said, " _Come on. We're leaving. Ignore them._ " Kurt practically shoved him back toward the car.

They got back in Sebastian's car.

" _No one is home. Dad and Carole had planned to go out after Finn and Rachel left to go to Prom. I just was busy at work and you surprised me and it slipped my mind._ "

They drove back to the Hummel's in silence. Kurt opened the door to the house and let Sebastian walk in first. As soon as Kurt shut the front door, Sebastian enveloped him in a hug.

" _Oh, my God Sebastian. You're going to strangle me._ " Sebastian loosened his grip, then let him go.

" _That was awful!_ " Sebastian was appalled at how Kurt had been treated.

" _That was nothing,_ " Kurt responded wearily. " _Come on, let's go make dinner_ ," he said cheerfully.

Sebastian helped Kurt make fettucine alfredo with chicken. " _My sauce is way better than Breadstix anyway. You didn't miss out on anything, trust me._ " They plated the food and sat at the counter.

" _This is really good. No loss on my part._ "

" _Do you want to stay over? Sam will be home around midnight. He'll go straight to bed though. He's working the early breakfast shift tomorrow._ "

" _You're parents won't mind?_ "

" _No, it's fine. We don't have a guest room anymore though. It's Sam's room now. You can either sleep downstairs in the family room on the couch or upstairs in my bed with me._ "

" _Okay_." They finished eating and Sebastian started talking about seeing his mom earlier that day. " _I miss her a lot. I'm glad I'm going back in a few days. Christmas was a long time ago._ "

" _Do you have any pictures from this morning?_ " Sebastian pulled out his phone and handed it to Kurt, who scrolled through all of the graduation photos. " _Your mother is beautiful._ "

" _I've always thought so too._ "

" _I'm looking forward to Graduation, but not the day itself._ "

" _What do you mean?_ "

"Rachel cornered me into agreeing to open our NYADA letters and Finn's Actor's Workshop letter right after Graduation in the choir room. She sang 'I'm the Greatest Star' as her goodbye song yesterday in Glee."

" _Unusual choice._ " Kurt handed Sebastian his phone and started the video of Rachel singing, which he watched all the way through, but said nothing.

" _What did you sing?_ "

"' _I'll Remember.'_ "

" _Did someone record it?_ "

" _Sam. He sent me the video._ " Kurt switched to it and Sebastian watched intently.

" _I'd pay to listen to you sing any day. Her, not so much. She tries too hard to sound like Barbra. If I wanted to listen to Barbra, I'd just get one of her CDs._ "

" _We're supposed to go out for a graduation lunch with Rachel and her dads after the ceremony. I just don't see her getting in, but maybe I'm wrong. It certainly won't be a pleasant lunch if she doesn't._ "

" _I can imagine._ " Sebastian grabbed both plates and rinsed them and stuck them in the dishwasher. " _Wash or dry?_ "

" _Wash. You want to watch a movie? Or we have lots of games downstairs. Let's just go down there and you can decide then._ " They finished the pots and pans quickly and went downstairs.

" _Oh, let's play Life. I haven't seen that game since before I moved to France._ "

They spent the next hour travailing through the ups and downs of the game. Eventually, Sebastian came out ahead.

" _We can probably still squeeze in a movie or we can head to bed early. Your choice._ "

" _Let's just call it a night. You have work in the morning._ "

They went upstairs to Kurt's room. Kurt grabbed some pajama pants and a Hummel Tires and Lube t-shirt and handed it to Sebastian. " _Towels and washcloths are under the sink. Just hang the wet towel on the hook on the back of the door._ "

While Sebastian showered, Kurt texted Carole.

To Carole: Remember when you said you were going to discuss what was "appropriate" in our house with Dad? Did you ever do that?

A few minutes later Carole replied.

From Carole: Of course, I remember. And yes, we had quite a long talk about it.

To Carole: Excellent. Sebastian showed up this afternoon at the shop and he's still here. As in here in my room, and he's going to sleep in my bed. As a friend. He was pretty down. Graduation was this morning and his mom flew in, attended the ceremony and then flew right back to France. She hates it here. He misses her. He's leaving Tuesday to go back home (to France).

From Carole: Okay. I'll prepare your dad and keep him away from your room and Sebastian. You'll both be gone early, right?

To Carole: Yeah. By 6:30.

From Carole: Okay. Good night. We'll be home later.

He decided to let Sam know just so he wouldn't try to come in and get in the bed and find someone in the not-quite-empty spot.

To Sam: Sebastian is here. Spending the night in my room. Dad and Carole know. Finn does not and hopefully will not find out. I'm locking my bedroom door. Sebastian will drop me off at work. Come pick me up at the shop when you get off.

A few minutes later, he got a reply:

From Sam: Got it.

Sebastian came out of the bathroom. " _You know you're not getting this shirt back, right?_ "

Kurt looked at him quizzically.

" _It's my souvenir from my car's tuneup this afternoon._ "

" _You're crazy sometimes. You can have the shirt._ "

" _Only sometimes?_ "

Kurt rolled his eyes.

" _I'll be back in a little bit. My Kindle's there on the side table. You can watch something on Amazon or read one of my books if you want._ "

Kurt was quick in the bathroom and came back out dressed in a similar fashion, in a matching t-shirt.

" _While you were in the bathroom, I put your ticket on your desk. I'm really looking forward to you coming. I can't wait to go home for a while._ "

Kurt went over to look at the ticket. It was real. He was really going to France. He tried, but didn't quite manage to contain his squeal.

" _I am SO excited._ " He put the ticket in the small safe his dad had given him.

Kurt locked his bedroom door, turned off the light and climbed into bed. He set his alarm.

Sebastian restarted the Question game by asking Kurt, " _Were you really voted Prom Queen_?"

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Sebastian were up and out of the house by 6:30. Sebastian refused to change into a different shirt, seeming to enjoy annoying Kurt by wearing the tee all wrinkled and slept in. They stopped by the Lima Bean and Sebastian grabbed a muffin for himself and two coffees to go.

" _You didn't have to get me anything, but thank you._ "

" _You're welcome._ "

Kurt let them back into the shop and locked the door behind them. They went back to the lounge and Kurt retrieved his cheesecake and opened the box and took a bite. " _This is so good. Where did you get it?_ "

" _At a shop in Westerville. I picked it up after Graduation._ "

They ate and finished their coffee. " _Are you heading back now?_ "

" _Not much reason to, but I don't want to be a bother. I could help with the inventory, maybe. Or I can leave you to do it yourself._ "

" _Your choice. I just have to get it done. Cassius will place the orders tomorrow morning and he'll need to know what's already in stock. It's computerized, so it's pretty easy to do. We''ll be here alone until close to noon. That's when the shop actually opens today._ "

" _I'll stay for a bit. I've never seen any of this kind of stuff done. It's interesting. Then, I'll get out of your hair and let you do your work._ "

Kurt started stacking things, straightening piles.

" _I saw that there're a lot of roller coasters at Cedar Point. I've never been on many, just the ones at Disneyland in Paris._ "

" _I've never been to Disneyland. Is it as cool as it looks in pictures?_ " Kurt lost count and had to start over.

" _Definitely. I'll be quiet now. Get to work or you'll be here all day._ "

Kurt got busy on the inventory while Sebastian quietly watched him. After about an hour, he said " _I'm going to head home. I've got a few more things to pack up in boxes and in my suitcases. And I'm making tacos for dinner tonight for everyone. Come let me out and lock yourself back in._ "

Kurt followed him to the front door. " _How will you get home?_ "

" _Sam's coming to get me when he gets off._ "

" _See you tonight_ ," he said as he gave Kurt a hug.

" _Bye._ "

Kurt locked the door back and got back to work. He had finished the inventory and the billing that needed done by the time Sam came a little after 1:00.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"I'm bushed," Sam said.

"I think you need a nap so you'll be rested for tomorrow."

"Can't nap. Gotta do laundry."

"I did it for you Friday night."

"You are the most awesome person."

"So you say."

"So I know."

They went inside and Sam plopped in his bed to take a nap. While Sam was sleeping, Kurt made some sandwiches and left a couple of them in the fridge for Sam to eat when he got up. Then, Kurt packed his overnight bag and one for Sam as well since he still had Sam's laundry in his room and Sam wasn't particular about what he wore anyway. He remembered that Sam needed two days worth of clothes since he was going to the zoo on Tuesday. He put the bags in the Navigator.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

When he went back inside, he could hear gunfire from the basement. He found Finn killing everything in sight. "Don't you ever get bored just shooting everything?"

"Oh, hey Kurt. Uh, no, not really. Blowing things up is fun."

"If you say so." Kurt plopped down on the couch. He watched FInn for a few minutes, but got bored and pulled out his phone to resume his window shopping at Ikea. Finn turned the game off after the end of the round.

"So, where's Sam."

"Asleep. He's worked 42 hours this week on top of studying for finals. He's tired."

"Forty-two hours in one week plus school?"

"Yeah, it's what people do who need money."

"I get that. I have to find a job to pay your dad back. That's going to take like all summer."

"If you work 20 hours a week, it'll take like two months. If you work more hours, it will take less. If you don't get into the acting school, what are you planning to do?"

"I'm not sure. Every time I try to talk to Rachel about it, she refuses. She says that making other plans just means that we don't have faith in ourselves. That we just need to plan for New York."

"You know that having a backup plan is always a good idea. It doesn't mean that your sabotaging your first plan."

"I know. She just won't talk about any other options."

"Well, if she gets in and you don't, are you going with her anyway?"

"I don't know what I would do there."

"That's the part that's up to you. You can go with her or stay here if you don't get in. Are you still getting married?"

"She wants to. I do too. At least I think I do."

"I know that Rachel is very determined and can be very persuasive, but do you really want to get married now?"

"I just don't know, Kurt. I love her and I want her to be happy and getting married is what she wants to do."

"You need to be sure that it's what YOU want to do as well."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt grabbed the plate of sandwiches and a drink and went to Sam's room to wake him up. "Hey, sleepyhead."

"Uhh. Hey, Kurt." Sam said, still laying face down. "I guess I was more tired than I thought." He rolled over and sat up and saw the clock. "I should have set an alarm."

"Don't worry, Kurt Hummel's housekeeping service has taken care of the tasks." Kurt handed him the food and sat the drink on his side table. "Your bag is packed and already out in the Navigator."

"You packed for me and made me lunch. I already told you that your the most awesome person. You have to stop trying so hard, you're making the rest of us look even worse," he teased. He scarfed down the sandwiches while they were talking.

"You worked 42 hours during finals week. I think you're already pretty high up on the awesome person list yourself."

"If you say so. When do we need to leave?"

"It's 3:30 now, so I figured in an hour or so. Sebastian lives about 45 minutes from here. He said he's making tacos for everyone for dinner."

"He cooks?"

"Yes. Usually French food, but I have to assume that he can manage tacos since they're not hard at all. I figured if we get there a little early we can help him with the chopping. It will take a lot of food to feed the six of us."

"Good plan. So, I'll shower and change. Are my clean clothes in your room still?"

"Yeah, I'll go grab them and put them on your bed. I'm going to shower and change too."

They were both ready in half an hour and took off for Sebastian's.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

On the drive to Sebastian's, Kurt recounted what had happened at dinner Friday night. Sam was glad to hear that Finn was going to try harder to be more supportive. The topic moved from there to roller coasters. Sam and Kurt were both looking forward to spending the day at Cedar Point. Neither of them had been there before and the pictures online made it look like a lot of fun. Kurt pulled into Sebastian's driveway and Sam stopped talking.

"Yeah. That was my first response. He has an indoor saltwater pool and more rooms than anyone could ever use and it's just him and his dad, who spends all of his time holed up in his suite on one side of the house."

Sam grabbed their bags and followed Kurt up to the house.

Kurt turned back, "Give me that, I don't need a manservant, you silly goose," as he grabbed for his duffel. Kurt knocked on the door, rather than ringing the bell to avoid bothering Mr. Smythe.

Sebastian opened the door. "You guys are early. Come on in." Kurt and Sam stepped into the house. Sebastian hugged each of them as they walked past.

"We came to help you prep the food, if you'd like the help," Kurt said.

"Sure. I was just starting to wash all of the vegetables."

Kurt, Sam and Sebastian chopped, diced and sliced until everything was ready to go.

"Did you start the meat yet?" Sam asked.

"No, I bought steak, pork loins and chicken breasts. We can either put them on the grill whole or we can slice them up and sautée them. What do you guys think?"

"Well, grilling them would give it a lot of flavor," Kurt said.

Sebastian pulled the meat packages out of the fridge. "I think grilling is a good idea. We can slice the pieces up afterward and stick in the oven to stay warm if we need to."

Kurt grabbed a platter, some tongs and the packages of meat out back and started the grill up. He put all of the meat on once it had heated up and went back in for some seasonings. He mixed salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and a dash of cayenne in a small prep bowl and took it back outside.

Sam and Sebastian were left together in the kitchen. "Thanks for having us all over tonight. When are the other guys supposed to be here?"

"About 7:00. We're going to eat and swim. Did you bring some swim trunks?"

"I don't know. Kurt packed my clothes for me this afternoon when I was taking a nap."

"He's a lot different than I thought he was. The more time I spend with him, the more fun he is."

"He said pretty much the same thing about you."

"Well, I was a jackass to him back when we met. Not my finest hour and it didn't even end up helping. I think you're the only friend he has that wasn't mean to him at some point. He had told me some of the stuff that had gone on, but last night we went to Breadstix and three guys were just awful to him. And he just acted like it was nothing and went on with the evening like nothing had happened."

"Yeah, he's pretty much used to it. The name-calling and stuff. At least he wasn't getting tossed in the dumpster or shoved into lockers much this past year. When I first got to McKinley it was bad. Dave was really going after him."

"He told me about some of that. He tends to minimize things, so I don't know how much of it he glossed over. I didn't know about any of it until the past two weeks. I was shocked to learn it was the same Dave that Kurt visited in the hospital and is friendly with."

"Yeah, he's really forgiving. Sometimes, too much I think. But I'm really glad we're getting out of here. I'm really hoping that Hartford will live up to that score it got on that list that Kurt was using."

"List?"

"Yeah, there's some list that ranks cities on how LGBT equitable the city is. It's scaled 0-100. Hartford got 96."

"I'd like to see that list."

"Ask Kurt. I'm sure he has the link on his phone."

"Ask Kurt what?" Kurt said as he came back into the kitchen.

"About that city ranking list you were looking at when you were looking for places to go to college."

"Oh, that," Kurt washed and dried his hands then pulled his phone out looking through his bookmarks, "There, I just texted it to you."

"Cool. I didn't know something like that existed. That'll be interesting to look at. How's the meat doing?"

"That's why I came in. Do you have a meat thermometer?"

"Over there, middle drawer."

"Thanks." Kurt went back outside.

Sebastian and Sam put all of the chopped vegetables in bowls.

"Cheese?" Sam asked.

"It's in the fridge still."

"Does it need shredded?"

"I just bought a couple of big packs of pre-shredded cheese to save time."

Kurt came back in with the meat on the platter. "Let's transfer these to a cutting board and get them sliced up. I'll turn the oven on warm. Where is something we can put it in that can go in the oven?"

Sebastian pulled out a large Corningware baking dish with a glass lid.

"Perfect," Kurt said.

By the time the meat was sliced and in the dish, the oven was preheated and Kurt put the dish in to keep the meat warm until they were ready to eat.

"He's handy, isn't he?" Sebastian asked Sam, teasing Kurt.

"Hush you," replied Kurt.

Sebastian laughed. "So, swimming before or after we eat?"

"I didn't pack our swim trunks."

"I have extras."

"Before, after, both. Anything's fine with me," Sam said. "I practically lived in the pool earlier this year."

"You're a swimmer too?"

"Sort of."

"Water polo?"

"Synchronized swimming."

"I didn't know that was a high school sport."

"Me neither until I was desperate to be on a sports team when I came back last fall and it was too late to join any of the more traditional teams. So, I joined what was open."

"I swam competitively in France."

"Yeah, last time he offered me some Speedos. There's no way anyone's catching me in a pair of those."

Sam said, "You and your silly ideas. You'd look fine in them. Sue should keep her stupid opinions to herself. She got you and all the Cheerios thinking they're fat. Dumb weigh-ins. I know I wasn't there when you were on the squad, but I've seen those girls drinking whatever awful concoction she forces them to drink and they don't eat. She's a menace. Then, she has her strokes of unusual kindness. I think she just likes to keep everyone off balance. She's the weirdest teacher I've ever known. Now that I think about it, does she even teach anything?"

"Actually, I have no idea."

"Anyway, back to the swimming," Sebastian redirected the conversation. "You guys want to swim for a while now before everyone else gets here? Or we can do something else. I have some card games."

They played Uno sitting at the island in the kitchen for the next hour.

"Skip you."

"Draw four!"

"Ack, I'm out of green."

"Uno. I win!" Kurt said triumphantly.

"You are cutthroat at this. All that polite exterior and you are a heartless card shark!" Sebastian teased Kurt.

"Oh, he's competitive alright. He's pretty much the reigning champion of games night at Hummel family night." Sam said.

They heard knocking at the front door. Sebastian went to answer it, Sam and Kurt following behind. "Hey Nick and Jeff. Come on in."

"Thad pulled up right after we started walking up the sidewalk. He'll be here in a sec."

Nick and Jeff followed Kurt, who led them to the base of the staircase. Sam waited for Thad with Sebastian by the front door.

After everyone was inside, Sebastian led everyone upstairs. "So, my dad asked me to make as little work for the housekeeper as possible. So, we can either all sleep in my room or we can divide into two rooms. Some people will have to sleep on the floor in my room, though."

"Let's just split into two rooms. Does one of the guest rooms have two beds?"

"Yeah, down this way. This one has two double beds. You guy okay with that?"

Everyone was fine with it.

"So, let's change and go swim. The food's already done and waiting, so we can eat whenever we want."

Nick, Jeff, Sam and Thad dumped their bags on the beds. Kurt and Sam followed Sebastian to his room. "Sam and I will need to borrow some swim trunks."

"Sure," Sebastian opened a dresser drawer and handed a pair to Sam, who left go to back to the guest room. He handed another pair to Kurt. "You can use my bathroom."

Everyone was ready quickly and they followed Sebastian downstairs to the pool. Nick, Jeff, and Sam took off and cannonballed into the pool. Thad wasn't quite as enthusiastic and just sat on the edge and slipped in.

Kurt helped Sebastian pull towels out of the cabinet and laid them on the end of a chaise for everyone to use. Kurt walked over to the edge and sat like he had the first time. Sebastian followed him over and sat down next to him. "I know you like the water, so why do you sit on the edge for so long before getting in?"

"Habit, I guess."

Sebastian just looked at him.

"I guess I just always took a survey of the pool before I felt comfortable enough to get in. I've been harassed in pools before too. It's silly to do it here. I know that none of you would do anything to me." He got up and jumped in. Sebastian followed. They moved over to where everyone else was playing around.

"We put some towels on the chair over there," pointing to indicate the location.

"Thanks. This is a really cool pool. Do you have any water toys?" Jeff asked.

"I don't think so. It's always just me in the pool and I swim laps mostly. I guess there might be something in the supply closet."

Jeff climbed out of the pool to look. "Hey there's a storage box in here. Can I open it?"

"Sure."

"I found some beach balls and some dive rings. And what's this? ... An inflatable chaise. We won't need that." He put the lid on the box and put it back in the closet. Then he removed the wrapper from the beach ball and started blowing it up. He jumped back in the pool with it once it was full. He popped it up in the air to Nick who bumped it up. They continued back and forth between everyone until it ended up on the ground outside the pool. They just left it.

Thad spoke up, "So where's everyone going to school in the fall? I'm going to Brown."

"Nick and Jeff said "Harvard" simultaneously.

"Yale," said Sebastian.

"Sam and I are going to Hartford."

"Yeah, I'm going to go to this really cool magnet school with great art classes."

"But please keep that information to yourselves. Only our parents know right now," said Kurt.

"Why so secret?" asked Nick.

Sam answered, "It's really complicated, but we're both really excited to move to Hartford. We've already got an apartment lined up and Kurt already got a job. I'm going to look for one once we get there. We're leaving after the 4th of July."

Thad said, "Those four places are actually pretty close to each other, even though they're in three different states. Let's look on one of our phones later."

They splashed around and talked for a while and eventually they all decided it was time to eat. Let's just dry off and eat in our swim trunks. We can just squeeze around the island in the kitchen.

Kurt pulled the meat out of the oven, while Sam and Sebastian pulled out all of the refrigerated items and put them on the counter with the chopped vegetables.

"So, line starts over there and we'll just make our own," Sebastian said.

Everyone grabbed what they wanted and Sebastian got the drinks out of the pantry wine cooler and put them in the middle of the island.

"This was a great idea Sebastian," Nick said.

"Yeah, thanks for having us all over," said Jeff.

They managed to eat most of what had been prepared. Sebastian made a few tacos, wrapped them up, and left them in the fridge on a plate for his dad.

"Dish duty falls to," Sam made a fake drum roll sound, "Nick, Jeff, and Thad because the rest of us cooked."

"Fair enough," said Thad.

The other two collected up the stuff that couldn't go in the dishwasher and started to wash it while Thad loaded the dishwasher. Kurt wiped the stove and counters down. The whole kitchen was clean in record time.

"Let's head upstairs."

"So... who showers at night besides me?" Sebastian asked.

Kurt and Thad responded.

"Okay then, Thad go shower, the others can change into their pajamas and everyone meet in my room in like 20 minutes, okay?"

Kurt and Sebastian went to his room.

"You can go first."

Kurt grabbed his pajamas and toiletry kit and took a quick shower to leave Sebastian enough time. He came out and did his moisturizing while Sebastian showered. They managed to finish before the others came down.

"Your room looks really different without all of your books. Are you shipping them to New Haven?"

"Not exactly. My dad actually has hired a guy to drive my car with all my boxes in it out to New Haven when school is starting."

"I'd have never thought of that. I don't let anyone drive my baby.

"You and that truck," he laughed. "You let me and Sam drive it."

"You're the exceptions."

"What's taking them so long?" Sebastian wondered.

They walked down to the guest room to find the four others on their phones looking at their map app.

"See, it's not far at all. We'll all be like an hour and half away from each other, or less," Jeff was checking the driving time from Yale to Harvard.

"Kurt and Sam are going to be sort of in the middle," noted Thad.

"We should plan a 'Welcome to the East Coast' party or something," Sam said.

"I see what happens. They're down here planning a party without us," Kurt said to Sebastian, both feigning pouting.

Kurt and Sebastian joined them on the beds.

"Okay. One party game before we go to sleep since we're heading out early." Sebastian asked, "First, did anyone forget anything that they need so I can get that now?"

"No, but I think we might need to run the swim trunks through the washer and dryer so we can wear them again tomorrow if we need them," Kurt pointed out.

He got back up and went in the adjoining bathroom and grabbed all four pairs and then went back to Sebastian's bathroom and grabbed the other two. Sebastian waited for him and then showed him where the laundry room was.

"Wait a minute," Sebastian said. "I'll be right back with the towels from the pool area." Sebastian came right back. "Dad asked me not to make more work for Gloria. I almost forgot the towels." He tossed everything in the washer, set the cycle, put in the detergent and started the washer." He bowed deeply. "Thank you for being a great audience," he said in a smarmy magician voice.

"Excellent work, my good fellow," Kurt imitated a British gentleman to the best of his ability.

Sebastian set a timer on his phone to move everything to the dryer since they'd be upstairs.

He and Kurt went back up and plopped down on the bed and Kurt said, "Two truths and a lie."

"Okay, you first," Nick said.

"I can hit a high F. I can fix a carburetor. I can do an aerial roundoff. And Sam can't guess. He knows me too well."

They discussed it amongst the four of them, but couldn't come to a consensus. "We give up," said Jeff.

"I can't do an aerial roundoff."

They went around and each person had a turn. Sebastian's alarm went off and he went down to move the load to the dryer. By the time he came back up, the four boys staying in the guest room had gotten in the beds. "We leave at 7:30." Sebastian reminded them.

"We'll be ready. Good night."

Sebastian left and went to his room to find Kurt sitting on his bed waiting for him.

"You coming?" Kurt scooted over and got under the covers.

Sebastian turned off the light and got in the bed.

"This has been fun. Thanks for having us all here."

"I've had fun too. Question game?"

"Sure, but I go first this time. What's the best book to have if you can only have one?"

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Sebastian were the first ones up. They went down to collect the laundry. Kurt folded the towels quickly and returned them to the pool area. Sebastian folded the swim trunks and waited for Kurt to come back. They went back upstairs and they could hear that the others were awake.

"Hey, one of you can use the shower in my room so we can get ready faster." Sam made his way down to Sebastian's room while Nick and Jeff stayed and used the bathroom adjoining the guest room.

They all grabbed their bags and loaded them back in their own cars so they wouldn't have to go back in the house after they got back. Then they all got into Kurt's Navigator and they set out for the closest McDonald's. They ate inside to spare Kurt's baby from the mess. After they had been fed and caffeinated, they hit on the road. They spent the whole drive talking about the different amusement parks they had been to and their favorite types of rides. Two hours later, they pulled into the lot.

"Wow, that's a lot of roller coasters!" Sam said.

They decided to ride roller coasters until 2:00. They figured at that point they'd be ready for lunch. After lunch, they wandered through the park together riding on random rides that looked fun. Kurt sort of felt like he was in a dream. Everybody got along so well and there was no fighting or name-calling or drama of any sort. It was just fun. Of course, Sebastian was his sarcastic self and Jeff was as hyper as usual. He kept catching Sam and Thad speaking Na'vi and he just laughed. Sam had met his nerd equal. At one point when they were speaking English, he thought he overheard them talking about Sam drawing something for a story that Thad was writing. That sounded like a really good match and Sam would love doing it.

They decided to take a break in the late afternoon and have some ice cream. "This place is really cool. Some of those roller coasters are insane though. I think I've had enough of those for the day," Thad declared. Everyone talked about their favorite rides while they ate their ice cream.

"I have an idea. Everyone wait here. Kurt, come with me." Sebastian and Kurt got up from the table and disappeared into a nearby gift shop. "Let's find a crazy shirt and get matching ones. My treat, since it's my idea.

Kurt found one with Cedar Point written in block letters that looked like they were cut from photos with a layout that looked like a vintage post card. "How about this one? It's colorful, but not outlandish."

"Looks good. Grab the sizes we need." Kurt looked though the stacks and handed Sebastian the shirts as he found the right sizes. "Let's get in line." Sebastian paid and they headed back out to the picnic bench where the others were waiting. "Okay guys," Sebastian took the shirts out of the bag one by one and Kurt tossed them to the guys. "Put them on. Just fold your shirts and put them in the bag."

Jeff got a girl's attention. "Hey, would you take a picture of us?"

She took several shots of them.

"Thanks!"

She waved and winked as she walked off.

"We were looking at the map while you guys were gone. There are some really cool shops. Like a glass blowing store where you can watch them make stuff. Let's go over there," Sam suggested.

They got inside and it was breathtaking. They all watched intently as the glass blower created intricate objects with seeming ease. "Wow, that is just super cool," Sam said. "That is definitely something I would like to try."

Kurt bought Carole a beautiful little glass cat. Sebastian bought his mom a little glass flower. They left the shop and looked through some other really neat shops.

"Is there anything else anyone wants to do that they didn't get to do yet?" Kurt asked.

No one spoke up.

"How about we go over by the marina and watch the sun set and then head back to Sebastian's. It's about 8:30 already."

Everyone agreed and they made their way to the marina. They grabbed drinks on the way over and found places to sit and just enjoy the breeze and watch the sun set. After it got dark, they went back out to the Navigator and drove back to Sebastian's. The drive home was lively and everyone talked about what they liked the most. When they arrived, they split up and Sam left with Thad and Nick and Jeff left in Jeff's car. Kurt was the only one left.

" _Hey, come back inside, okay?_ "

" _Okay._ " Kurt grabbed his bag out of the truck and followed him.

" _Will you stay?_ "

" _Sure. I just need to text Carole and tell her I'm not coming home so she doesn't worry._ "

They went inside and went upstairs.

" _I don't have any clean clothes to wear to sleep in or tomorrow. Can I wear something of yours and go toss all my dirty stuff in your washer. You probably have stuff to wash too since you're leaving tomorrow._ "

Sebastian grabbed a pair of lounge pants and a white undershirt out of his drawer and handed them to Kurt, who quickly showered and changed in the bathroom. Sebastian had his laundry basket out for Kurt to put his dirty clothes in. He showered quickly after Kurt came out. Kurt added his laundry to the basket and they went downstairs to the laundry room.

" _Let's just put them into the washer, but turn it on in the morning. I'm too tired to stay up for two hours waiting for it to get done,_ " Sebastian suggested.

" _Good idea._ "

They grabbed some water as they went past the kitchen and then went back upstairs.

Kurt sat down on Sebastian's bed and leaned against the headboard when they were back in Sebastian's room. " _Why did you want me to stay?_ "

Sebastian turned off the light and sat next to Kurt. " _I was so miserable when I got here. I just didn't even try. Now, that I've made friends with you, I just don't want to be alone so much anymore. It's so empty here. I've spent so much time with you lately. Now it's lonely when you're not around. I know it sounds lame. I'm really excited to go home tomorrow, but now I'm going to miss you._ "

" _Won't you see your friends in France once you get home?_ "

" _I can see how many, if any, of them are still speaking to me. What happened caused a rift in our group._ "

" _Oh_."

" _I miss my mom desperately. She and I were always close. I'll spend time with her and my grandparents. But you're coming Monday. And that will be a lot of fun. We'll go see and do whatever you want and I'm sure you're looking forward to meeting your grandparents._ "

" _I really am. It still sort of feels like a dream. It was always this wish that was out there that I never thought would come true._ "

" _You deserve to have a wish come true._ "

" _Thanks._ "

They both slid down and lay down in the bed. Kurt could hear Sebastian softly crying. He reached out for Sebastian's hand and just held it. There was obviously a lot more to his story from France than he could bring himself share. But Kurt could just be there for him. They just lay there in silence in the dark for a while. Sebastian's tears eventually stopped flowing. Kurt gently squeezed his hand and let go.

He started the Question game again. " _What's one thing that you'd like to do for your mom, but never have?_ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt woke before Sebastian the next morning. He went down to the laundry room to start the washer only to run into a lovely woman who was already starting to move the clothes from the washer to the dryer.

"Good morning," Kurt said. "I'm Sebastian's friend, Kurt. You must be Gloria."

"It's nice to meet you, Kurt. I'm glad to see that Sebastian has finally made a friend here."

"Thanks for starting our laundry. I can take it from here. I don't want to give you any extra work." She stepped away and he took over the transfer from the washer to the dryer.

"I can make the two of you some breakfast, if you'd like."

"That's okay. Sebastian said that his dad specifically told him that he could only have people over if they didn't cause you extra work. I don't want to cause trouble."

Gloria whispered, "What Mr. Smythe doesn't know won't hurt him. I was going to make Sebastian's breakfast anyway. I always do when he's home on a weekday. That poor boy needs someone to pay attention to him. I'll bring it up to Sebastian's room on a tray. Mr. Smythe will never even notice because he'll be too busy eating his own breakfast over in his suite."

"Well, if anyone asks, it was your idea," Kurt winked. He stayed in the laundry room waiting on the dryer while Gloria headed to the kitchen. He pulled out his phone to check if there were any texts from Carole or his dad, but he didn't have any. He checked his emails, looked at his to do list and added a few things to it. The dryer buzzed and he grabbed the items out and laid them out neatly over the edge of the basket and carried it upstairs.

Sebastian was still asleep when he went back in the room. He started to stir as Kurt set the basket down.

" _Hey, I brought up the laundry. Gloria is bringing breakfast up in a little while. I tried to talk her out of it, but I was unsuccessful._ "

Sebastian sat up and slid up in the bed against the headboard.

Kurt had finished folding the laundry and put his stuff in his duffel. " _Where should I put your stuff. Are you taking any of this with you or are you boxing it up?_ "

" _Well, I'm wearing the Cedar Point shirt today and I'll just wear those shorts. The rest can go in my suitcase. I'll put the stuff in there in minute. Let me go get dressed._ " He grabbed what he needed and went in the bathroom.

Kurt dressed, also in his Cedar Point t-shirt, while Sebastian was in the bathroom.

Sebastian returned quickly and grabbed the suitcase near the closet, put it on the bed and opened it. Kurt saw the Hummel Tires and Lube t-shirt in the suitcase and smiled. Sebastian packed everything else in the suitcase. He checked his drawers and moved the rest of the clothes to the suitcase. His closet was already empty.

" _Are all of your boxes ready to go, taped up and everything?_ "

" _I think so, but we can check."_

They checked everything - under the bed, every drawer, and found nothing left.

" _Was there anything else in the laundry room when you were down there?_ " Kurt shook his head. " _Well, then that's everything. Let's just stack the boxes neatly against the wall near the door._ "

By the time they had moved the boxes, Gloria brought a tray of food, coffee and juice up and sat it on Sebastian's desk. _"_ It looks like you're all packed to go," she said. Sebastian nodded.

"Thanks for everything, Gloria. We'll bring the tray back down later." She nodded and left.

Kurt moved the tray to the floor and patted the spot next to him. Sebastian sat down and they shared the food. It didn't take long for it to disappear. They were both really hungry.

Sebastian's face flashed with concern. " _I know what I didn't pack. My movies and DVD player. Let's go get those and bring them up._ "

Once they returned, Sebastian used some bubble wrap to protect his DVD player and carefully placed in in the box they had opened and used some more bubble wrap to secure it from moving around. Then he wrote FRAGILE on all sides of the box and taped it back up. " _Let's see if we can fit the DVDs in my suitcases somehow._ "

" _I'm really good at packing. I bet I can find a way._ " And after about 20 minutes of removing, rearranging and repacking, everything was in the suitcases. "Ta da."

" _Genius, pure genius_ ," Sebastian teased.

"The role of genius is not to complicate the simple, but to simplify the complicated."

"I see that I am not the only one who reads."

"No, you just have your own library. I use the one in Lima."

"The library in Lima has Criss Jami books?"

"The usefulness of the interlibrary loan option cannot be underestimated."

"I bet," Sebastian laughed.

" _So what can we do around here today? We went to the café with the delicious ice cream selection already. Is there anything else of interest? I can stay until 1:00. I have to be at the garage at 2:00 to start my shift. I'm working a lot of hours this week to help make up for all of the ones I lost over the last few weeks doing all of that studying and going to Nationals. Joe took a week vacation and I'm filling in for him._ "

Kurt got his phone and searched for nearby things to do. " _Well, it seems that we are actually very near the highest point in Ohio. And we could visit the location of the very first concrete street._ "

" _Riveting choices. The highest point in a practically flat state or a slab of concrete. I suppose either one is better than sitting in this empty room. Let's go see these amazing points of interest and we'll get some lunch before you have to go back to Lima._ "

Kurt grabbed his duffel and Sebastian grabbed the breakfast tray. They put the dishes in the dishwasher and put the tray away before heading out.

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They went to this highest point first. There was a little book to sign in. They each got a little certificate saying they had been there. They took pictures of each other holding the certificates to post online as jokes. The concrete street was well, a concrete street.

They found a decent looking café and had a nice lunch together and then headed back to Sebastian's. Kurt asked if they could go back to the garden for a while before he left. They went and sat on the swing together, not talking at first, just lightly swinging.

" _When does your flight leave?_ "

" _8:00._ "

" _I suppose you could go ahead and go to the airport and buy a new book and read it. It might be better than just sitting around here alone._ "

" _You know, that's a good idea. I'm going to call the car service and have them come earlier._ "

Kurt stood up. " _I really have to go or I'll be late._ "

Sebastian walked him to his car. " _I'll be there Monday morning to pick you up at the airport._ "

" _I'm looking forward to it_ ," Kurt said as he hugged Sebastian before he got in his Navigator and headed to Lima.


	9. Chapter 9

Kurt made his way back to Lima with a lot on his mind. He made it in time for his shift at the garage. He spent six hours doing mostly oil changes and a few minor repairs. It was the time of year when people started traveling and that brought in the regulars for oil changes before they left town. He worked straight through and his last task was to rotate and balance the tires on an Explorer. He was definitely ready to head home and shower by the time he was done.

He walked in the front door to find Rachel and Finn in the living room. "Aren't you excited about our letters arriving tomorrow, Kurt?"

"Sure, Rachel. I really need to go clean up. I'll talk to you later." He went straight up to his room and right into the bathroom. He used some more cleaner on his hands to get what was left of the oil and grime off. He decided that he'd definitely need to plan for a good manicure Friday when he got home. He wanted nice clean hands for graduation and for his trip to France. Before he got in the shower, he texted Carole and asked her if there were any leftovers from dinner. And got a positive reply. So, he decided take his shower, grab the food, and head back to his room as fast as possible without looking suspicious.

It was a great plan that didn't work. As soon as he got to the bottom of the stairs, he saw that Rachel was actually in the kitchen getting Finn another drink. "Hey, Rachel," he said as he opened the fridge to find his food. He found soup in a glass storage bowl with a lid. Did he think he could stomach eating it cold? If it meant avoiding Rachel, he thought he could pull it off. So, he grabbed a spoon and headed back towards the stairs.

"Aren't you going to even talk to us, Kurt?" he heard Rachel call out from the living room.

"Rachel, I'm exhausted. I've been at the shop all day. My arms are tired from rotating tires. I really just need to go to sleep. I'm working 10-hour shifts for the next three days. One of the guys took the week off and I'm covering his hours. Working full time at a physical job makes people tired.

"We missed you and Sam at Prom," she added in an attempt to keep the conversation going.

"Sam and I both worked 12-hour days Saturday."

"But it was our last Prom and you missed it."

"You're right, but I didn't have a date and I really didn't want to be the 'reigning' Prom Queen and coronate the winner."

"Did Finn tell you that he and I won Prom King and Queen?"

"Actually, I haven't been home much and Finn hasn't been here when I have. I did not know that you won. Congratulations."

"Thank you. It was so exciting! I don't know if I can hold off opening my letter until Saturday."

"Well, you are free to open it sooner if you'd like. It was your idea to wait."

"No, no. It will be so dramatic. We'll walk across the stage, get our diplomas, go to the choir room, and open our acceptance letters."

"Well, I'm sure it will be dramatic. I really have to go to bed now, Rachel. I have to get up early tomorrow. Good night. And goodnight, Finn," he said in a louder voice.

"Night," Finn replied.

Kurt made it back up to his room with his cold soup, which he ate quickly. He rinsed the bowl and spoon in his bathroom sink to avoid having to go back downstairs. He texted Carole thanking her for the soup and to let her know that he was hiding out in his room instead of coming to greet her in person.

He gathered up his laundry. Looked through his to do list. And decided that he could get a lot more done if he went to bed and got up at 6:00 because then he'd have free reign of the house. So, he locked his door, turned off his light and climbed in bed. Once he was in bed, he texted Sam.

To Sam: I hope you had a great time at the zoo. Please let me know what time you work tomorrow so I can plan.

A few minutes later, Sam answered.

From Sam: I switched tonight for tomorrow morning. Another long split day. 6-noon and 4-10.

To Sam: I'll be asleep when you get home. You can have the Navigator tomorrow.

From Sam: Thanks.

Kurt texted Carole asking her to come to his room. A few minutes later, he opened his door and let her in. "Sam and I work different shifts. I just need a way to get to work at 10:00 and I get off at 8:00. I can walk if I have to. Sam's working a split shift."

"Sure. I can take you at 10:00 and pick you up at 8:00."

"Thanks! I'm going to bed now. I'm getting up really early tomorrow morning to get laundry and some other stuff done. Good night."

"Night."

He closed the door quietly, relocked it and went to sleep.

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5:30 came very early the next morning. He poured coffee for himself and for Sam, made three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sat at the counter. Sam came in at 5:45, bleary eyed and tucking his shirt in as he walked. "A gourmet breakfast for you, a la Kurt Hummel," Kurt said as he handed Sam two sandwiches on a paper towel and a travel mug of coffee."

"It's perfect," Sam said as he took a huge bite. Much better than the absolutely nothing I was going to eat before."

"Did you have a good time at the zoo?"

"It was great. I loved it. Nick, Jeff, and Thad are a lot of fun. I got home not too long after your last text, so at least I got some sleep, although I may take a nap this afternoon. See ya," he said as he headed out the door.

Kurt grabbed his laundry and headed to the basement to get it started. He took a notepad with him to work on his to do list. Somehow real paper was just better for working out details than trying to use his phone. He still needed to find someplace that could use the costumes in the sewing room. He had a long list of things to call about like getting the electricity turned on and whether they could paint the apartment. Then he needed to make an appointment for Sam to enroll in the high school and find out where to buy the uniforms.

But for now, he was just too tired to think of anything else. Instead he opened a home designing app on his phone. He had consulted the apartment website and took a screen shot of the floor plan and had used it to draw a matching floor plan in the app. He had used furniture that looked a lot like what he had been looking at on the Ikea website. Then he started painting the walls different colors and rearranging the furniture. Sometimes, he just loved technology. A boy could dream, couldn't he?

The washer played its little ditty when the cycle ended. Kurt moved his clothes to the dryer and hung up the hang-to-dry clothes. He decided to move his interior decorating to the couch where he'd be more comfortable. A few minutes later, he heard Carole come down the stairs.

"Whatcha doing up so early?"

"I need to get my laundry done since I'll be at work all day."

"Are you playing a new game on your phone? It looks like you're decorating a house. Is it one of those Sims games?"

"No, this is much cooler. You can create rooms, apartments, whole houses that are duplicates of your own real living space. After you put in the dimensions, you can add windows, doors, etc to the layout. Then you can pick what color to paint the walls and choose furniture. Then you can 'stand' in the middle of the room and do a 360º turn to see how things will look. You can move the furniture around and figure out how you want to place it without having to break your back moving couches around."

"Oooh. It sounds cool. Can I see what you've done. I'm assuming you made a duplicate of your new apartment."

"Yes. I've been window shopping on Ikea. Do you want to see?" Carole nodded and sat down next to him. Kurt loaded the Ikea app. "Okay, so I've been thinking that I'd like gray wood furniture. I don't really want dark furniture because it's not that big and dark colors are kind of overwhelming in a small space and I don't really like white furniture. So, they have these bookcases, a kitchen table, desks, daybed frames, etc in this gray stain I like." He showed her all of the stuff he had been storing in his cart.

Carole looked at the choices Kurt had made.

"So, on that home design app, I've been choosing furniture that looks similar to the Ikea furniture and I've just been playing around. I'm thinking that light yellow paint would look really nice with that gray. It would be a nice contrast, but complementary as well. For the bedroom, I was thinking a really pale warm green since green is Sam's favorite color. But I haven't tried out wall colors in there with the furniture in the bedroom yet."

"Wow. All of that technology is really cool. Back in the day, when I was a kid, we had to walk to school four miles uphill both ways and draw our own paper dolls on used grocery paper sacks."

Kurt nudged her and laughed. "Yeah, because there were no school buses or Barbies in the late 70s. Go tell your tall tales to someone who'll believe you." She laughed.

The dryer buzzed and Kurt got up to get his clothes out before they wrinkled. Carole followed him to help him. "You don't have to help me."

"I know, sweetie. I want to." She started pulling out his clothes. "Cedar Point? Columbus Zoo? These are new."

"Yeah, Sam and I went to Cedar Point on Monday. It was a lot of fun. Definitely a roller coaster aficionado's dream place to go. They have like 18 or something. We went with Jeff, Nick, Thad, and Sebastian. It was Sebastian's idea for us all to get matching t-shirts and he bought them for all of us."

"You stayed over again the night afterwards. Are you two seeing each other?"

"No, it's not like that. He was just upset. It's hard to explain because I don't really know any details and if I did, they'd be private." She nodded in understanding.

"You know I've never even met his dad? In all the time I've spent at his house in the last couple of weeks, his dad never even came out of his suite in the house. Sebastian took him food, but he never came out. I get the impression that it's been that way the whole school year. Sebastian just didn't want to be alone his last day here. So, I stayed."

"That's sad."

"It really is. He's boxed up everything. He donated what he isn't taking to Yale or back to France. His room is empty now. All of his stuff that's going to Yale is sitting right inside the door to his room. His dad has hired someone to load the boxes in his car and drive it to New Haven once Sebastian comes back from France later this summer. Sebastian has no intention of ever staying there again. He didn't leave a single possession behind."

"Wow."

"His dad hired a car to pick him up to take him to the airport. I can't imagine living like that. He's spent every weekend this whole school year in a huge house with no company, not even the housekeeper because she works Monday through Friday."

Carole looked at her watch, "You have to be at the shop at 10:00, right?"

"Yeah. Normally, I would have just had Sam take me this morning since he usually works evenings. But he traded with someone to get yesterday evening off, so he had to work the morning shift today."

"You two work so hard."

"Well, I'll never succeed twiddling my thumbs," he teased.

"I'll make us some brunch before we go if you want."

"That would be great."

"I'll go put all of this stuff away. I need to start packing tomorrow morning. I'll have tomorrow morning and Friday morning to get it done. Saturday will be busy with graduation and Sunday is the graduation party here at the house."

Carole looked confused.

"Didn't Finn tell you that the New Directions decided to have a graduation party here on Sunday at noon? He volunteered our house like you already knew about it."

"Well, I guess we're having a party Sunday. What are we supposed to provide?"

"I signed up for cupcakes. I'd ask Finn to see the sign up sheet that got passed around Glee. Hopefully he has it or Rachel does. No one gave it to me."

"I figured we were having a birthday party for you that day since it is your birthday."

"How about a birthday breakfast?"

"That will work."

"I'll come to the kitchen after I get this stuff put away."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt sat at the counter to eat with Carole. "Thanks for this. It looks great."

"You're welcome, honey."

"I have a favor to ask you."

"What's that?"

"I really appreciate all of the effort you've put into making Finn learn more about LGBT issues. There's a movie that I want Finn to watch and he'd never agree to it voluntarily called _Matthew Shepard Story_. It's not a fun movie at all. I'm sure you will cry if you watch it with him. But I think he just really needs to understand more."

Handing Carole his phone. "Read this description and tell me what you think."

Kurt kept talking, "I wanted to watch _Shelter_ with him because I wanted him to see a positive portrayal, but mixed feelings in Zach's character. Tori was his best friend and he loved her, but not romantically even though he tried hard to and even dated her. I wanted him to see that wanting to be straight, even as much as Zach wanted to be everything for Tori, he couldn't change the fact that he wasn't attracted to her because he was gay. And that once he stopped fighting who he was, he could actually be happy. But this movie is not a feel good movie," pointing to the phone. "It shows the reality of what happens when the underlying hatred festers. It's brutal, but I think he sees what goes on around here as not that dangerous. It's 'just' name-calling and some pushing and dumpster tosses. But it grows from there. Even passively going along with it feeds into people's beliefs that they're right. Just letting people talk like they do in front of him without speaking up makes those people think that he agrees with them. Silence implies agreement a lot of the time."

She looked at his phone and read the synopsis of the movie.

"I have the movie upstairs in my room. Will you make him watch it before I get home from work?"

"I'll call him and tell him to be home at 6:00 and I'll watch it with him."

"Thanks, Carole. My last request is that Rachel not be here when I get home. I really want to put this issue between me and Finn to rest. I don't want there to be anything between me and him." Kurt got up, grabbed both sets of plates and utensils and put them in the dishwasher.

"Okay." Carole stood and they went outside and got in her car.

Kurt started speaking again after he got his seatbelt on. "I'm already planning my talk with Rachel on Sunday before I leave. I've smoothed things over with the rest of the New Directions already. We're all going our separate ways soon and I thought about what you said. I don't want to leave with regrets hanging over my head. The only person I can't handle dealing with is Blaine. That relationship is just over, period. Sometimes things just can't be repaired or redeemed. I don't know if he's coming to the party on Sunday or not. But I will just steer clear of him if he does. I have nothing more to say to him. But I will be talking to Rachel alone that day. I bought her a book for graduation and I want to talk to her before I leave."

"That's good. She may be a part of this family for a long time and I'd like everyone to get along too." She turned into the shop parking lot.

Before he got out Kurt said, "I'll see you when you pick me up at 8:00. Maybe you can bring Finn with you so he doesn't run off before I get a chance to talk to him tonight."

"I can do that. Bye, sweetie."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Hey, Cassius."

"Hey, Kurt. Your project is down on the lift on the end." Kurt changed into his jumpsuit and got busy on the car. He thought about what he was going to say to Finn later that evening. It turned out to be another long day of routine tire rotations, oil changes, radiator leaks. Nothing really big so he had time to think while he worked.

He knew Rachel would be mad about his gift, at least initially. He just had to focus and keep his cool and keep her on track so that he could make his point. He knew there was no way she was getting into NYADA, but all he had heard for weeks was how she "deserved" it. Her sense of entitlement was as big as her talent. Her talent could get her far, but not until she could overcome her sense of entitlement.

His mind jumped back to the movie. He didn't know whether it would make an impact on Finn or not. He watched so many violent movies that it might not have the impact that he was hoping. He decided to text Carole on his break.

To Carole: Be sure to tell Finn that the move is based on a TRUE story.

From Carole: Will do.

To Carole: Thanks.

Kurt put his phone away and went back to work. He started on an oil change and this time his mind floated to France. Just four days until he was leaving. He looked at the time, wiped his hands, and pulled his phone back out quickly.

To Sebastian: _How's France?_

From Sebastian: _It's French._

To Sebastian: _So are you. 4 days. I'm so excited._

From Sebastian: _Me too. What are you doing?_

To Sebastian: _Texting you while the oil is draining out of a car._

To Sebastian: _Can you ask your mom something for me? My mom left me some bonds or something that my dad gave me the same day that he gave me the Passport. My dad knows nothing about them. Can she find out where I can take them to find out about them while we are there?_

From Sebastian: _I'll ask her._

To Sebastian: _Thanks! Time to put the oil back in. I'll text you tomorrow morning._

Kurt finished the oil change and the rest of the tasks. He was ready to go when Carole and Finn got there at 8:00.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt climbed in the backseat. "Thanks for coming to get me Carole. Hey, Finn."

"You're welcome."

"Are there any leftovers at home?"

"I didn't make dinner yet. We were watching the movie."

"Okay. How about we just grab a family pack of tacos and whatever else Finn wants. That way we can all just go home and eat and talk."

"Sounds good," Carole said as she turned toward Casa Taco.

Kurt and Finn carried everything inside and put it on the dining room table. "She we eat like teens again or do you want me to get plates and stuff?"

"No dishes."

Kurt sat down and grabbed his stuff from the bags. Everyone else did the same. "So what did you think of the movie Finn?"

"I thought it was really sad and I think I understand why his parents didn't want the death penalty. I don't think you would want that. You never retaliated. Maybe the guy, Matthew, was like that. It was just super sad."

"You know that he's not the only one who has died. When people don't put an end to the name calling, it escalates. When people don't put an end to the pushing, shoving and things like dumpster tosses, it escalates. Do you know why I've never fought back?"

"You're too small?"

"No. I'm not a wimp. But I value my life more than my need to fight back physically. If I shove back, the bullies just shove harder, then shoving becomes punching and punching can lead to kicking and it just goes on and on."

"I can see that."

"That's why I never wanted you or the others to actually fight on my behalf. Sam didn't start that fight. Artie and Mike went to talk to Karofsky. Karofsky shoved Mike and he fell into Artie and that knocked Artie's wheel chair over. Sam stepped up to defend the two of them from being attacked again. And he got clocked in the process."

"I wasn't in there and they were mad about it. I never asked for details."

"I know. I asked Artie what happened."

"When was this?" Carole asked.

"Last year before I transferred to Dalton."

"Got it," Carole said. "So, Finn why do you think Kurt wanted you to watch that movie?"

"To see how bad bullying can be?"

Kurt spoke up. "Well, sort of. But that's not the whole reason. What I want you to learn is that when you hear people saying mean things about someone regarding some aspect that the person cannot control, like being gay or bi or lesbian or in a wheel chair or autistic or missing an arm. Anything that is beyond the person's ability to change... If you don't speak up in defense of the person being bullied or smack talked behind their back, you are silently saying that you agree with them."

"What? I don't understand."

"Okay. Here's an example. We are all eating these tacos, right?"

"Yeah."

"If I say, 'These tacos are really good.' and neither of you say anything, what do I think that the two of you think about the tacos?"

"That they're good," Finn answers.

"So, if I say, 'These tacos are gross.' and neither of you say anything, what do I think that two of you think about the tacos?"

"That they're gross," Finn said.

"See that's easy. But what if I say, 'These tacos are gross.' and you say, 'No dude, they rock.' but Carole says nothing."

"What would someone think that Carole thinks? That they're good or gross?"

"Well, since you said they were gross and she didn't say anything, I guess she agreed with you."

"Exactly - So, when the Cheerios were smack talking me behind my back about turning Sam into a fag and you said nothing, what did they think you believed?"

"That I agreed with them?"

"Exactly. And when you came to me to ask me to leave Sam alone on the rest of the trip, it showed me that you were more concerned about having Sam be smack talked and possibly considered to be gay than you were concerned about the fact that there is no way in hell that sleeping in a room with me could make Sam gay."

"What was I supposed to say?"

"I don't know. How about, 'People are born gay. They can't turn other people. Being gay is not like being a vampire in those dumb _Twilight_ movies. Kurt can't just turn someone gay. That's just dumb.'"

Carole laughed.

"I get it I think. Because I said nothing and then asked you to change what you were doing, I made the Cheerios think that they were right."

"Bingo. That's it exactly."

Carole added, "That's why it was so important to read through that material. If you don't know the facts, you can't share the facts."

"I get it now."

"Thanks for watching the movie." Finn just nodded.

They finished eating and Kurt put the leftover tacos in the fridge for Sam. He collected all the trash and tossed it.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam got back a little after 10:00 and knocked on Kurt's door.

"Come in, Sam."

Sam came in stuffing a taco in his mouth.

"Oh, good you found the tacos." Have a seat. He sat on the floor so he wouldn't drop crumbs in Kurt's bed.

"Thanks for saving me some."

"Always."

"So, are you ready for your trip?"

"Yes and no. I'm excited, but I haven't packed yet. It's hard to know what to take to a place you've never been before. And I was told to 'pack light'. If only he knew how hard that would be for me," Kurt laughed.

"He's right though. You aren't going there to impress anyone. Just be yourself. Take your favorite outfits and just wear them. Who cares what anyone else thinks."

"You're right. I need to just get it done. I'm planning to do it in the morning anyway. I'm just going to pack like eight outfits and let it be. Surely there's a washing machine."

"That's the spirit. Minimalism," Sam teased.

"Yeah, whenever I dress minimalist, people ask me 'What's wrong, Kurt?'"

"I can see that. Actually, I've probably asked that," he laughed.

"Are you excited to spend time with your family?"

"Yes and no. I love them, but I really don't like being there. It's just hard. I want so much more for them, but it's not my job to provide it. It's just hard."

"You've done what you could. And that's what matters."

"Yeah, and Stevie and Stacey are happy. They're young enough that it doesn't bother them. And my mom got that job so things are looking up."

Sam finished his last taco.

"So we both have two days of work left. Then graduation, the letter opening, the graduation luncheon and then a graduation party the next day. I still sort of wish you were graduating with us, but I'm also super excited you'll get more art training and then be eligible for half-price college tuition in Hartford. With Pell Grants, you should be able to go to college for free even without a scholarship. I know that your grades aren't great and that would make a scholarship like mine really hard to get, but this way it will all work out anyway. So, in some ways I'm glad that you won't be graduating because you'll have more opportunities in the long run."

"Yeah, me too. I did want to graduate, but if I had, there wouldn't be college in my future at all. Like you said, my grades aren't good enough and my standardized test scores are terrible and grants alone would never cover the cost."

"I found out something else. You mentioning standardized tests made me remember. If we can get you officially diagnosed when we get to Hartford, you can request a 504 Plan and get extra time on tests and possibly get your text books in audio format."

"Seriously?"

"Definitely. You're a smart guy. You have nearly perfect auditory recall. Being dyslexic makes you slow reader and test taker, but it doesn't mean you don't know the material. I just didn't know until recently that there was anything that could be done to get more time to complete tests."

"That's awesome."

"It is. When we come back we have to finalize everything and get our to-do list done. Things like making appointments for this type of thing and getting your health insurance set up, getting your uniforms, getting new car insurance, and the list goes on."

"Since I won't be working an insane amount of hours and going to school, I'll help you with all of that stuff."

"I had no doubt that you would."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt spent the next morning packing. He finally narrowed everything down to eight complete outfits that could then be mixed and matched to wear the rest of the trip. He packed everything into a single suitcase and his carry on.

After he finished, he sat down on his bed and texted Sebastian.

To Sebastian: _I did it._

From Sebastian: _Did what?_

To Sebastian: _I fit everything I'm taking to France in a single suitcase._

From Sebastian: _No way. You're just teasing me._

Kurt put the suitcase on the bed, opened it, took a photo and sent it to Sebastian.

To Sebastian: _See. I have proof._

From Sebastian: _I'm shocked and impressed._

To Sebastian: _What did your mom find out?_

From Sebastian: _Bring your birth certificate and an official copy of your mom's death certificate and your other normal ID, like your driver's license and you'll already have your Passport._

To Sebastian: _I'll have to go get those tomorrow morning. Please tell her thanks from me._

From Sebastian: _I will._

To Sebastian: _See you soon._

From Sebastian: _See you Monday._

Kurt added a trip to the Health Department to his to do list for the next morning. He was going to have to tell Cassius that he might be late, depending on how long it took to get the paperwork he needed. He looked up where to go and found what he'd need to take with him and that it was going to cost $50 to get the certificates.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam dropped Kurt off at the shop at ten. On the drive Sam asked, "We're on for our movie night tonight, right?"

"Yes. I've lost track, but I'm pretty sure that it's my turn to pick."

"It is. The last movie we watched was _Galaxy Quest_. After that we were in Chicago, then I took a shift the Thursday after that to make up for not working while we were in Chicago and we had finals the next morning so we couldn't stay up."

"I choose _Stormy Weather_. It's got lots of great dancing by the Nicolas brothers and it's not super long which is good since we'll be starting it after you get home from work. I found out I have to go to the Health Department tomorrow to pick up some documents in the morning."

"Works for me."

Sam turned into the shop lot and Kurt jumped out.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Burt surprised Kurt by showing up at the garage at 7:00. He slipped into his coveralls and snuck up on Kurt and just stood and watched him for a few minutes. Kurt eventually noticed him when he looked up from the engine he was working on.

"Hey, Dad!" Kurt greeted him with a big hug. "I thought you weren't going to be here until really late tomorrow."

"Well, I came home early."

"This is my last job for the evening. I've been here since 10:00 this morning."

"Yeah, Carole told me that you and Sam are working yourselves to the bone."

"'Money doesn't grow on trees.' I'm sure I heard that from you when I was, what, 14?"

"You're a hard worker. I'm proud of you. And of Sam. You guys are going to be fine out in Connecticut. I'm going to miss you though."

"Yeah, me too Dad."

"So, Graduation is Saturday morning. And you're leaving for France Sunday evening."

"Yes. I'm going to take that envelope from Mom with me. Since you said that she left it for me, and it's some kind of legal thing, I'm taking it to have it looked at while I'm there."

"Good idea."

"Carole's working tonight and Finn wasn't home when I got there. So, how about you finish that and get cleaned up. I'm going to look around and check up on things. We'll go eat somewhere."

Kurt gave him the "no junk food" look and Burt added, "Somewhere healthy."

Kurt smiled. "Sounds good."

Once they were both ready, they headed out and went to Breadstix and ordered salads with grilled chicken.

"You know, I liked this restaurant better when I got to eat pasta," Burt teased Kurt.

"Sure, Dad," he said and laughed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"You were totally right. Those guys were amazing!" Sam exclaimed after the movie had ended. "I'm going to miss our movie nights. We're going to miss three in a row."

"Well, since you won't be working and school's out, we can make up for it when we get back and have movie nights two nights a week instead of just one."

"Good idea."

"I gotta head to bed. I have to go get those certificates tomorrow morning from the Health Department and I have no idea how long it will take."

"Don't forget, I switched my hours around at the diner so I'd be here for family dinner this week. So, be sure to swing by here to pick me up before you head to the shop. I go in at noon, but you can drop me off early."

"Got it. I'll text you when I'm on my way."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt let the house at 8:30. The office didn't open until 9:00, but he wanted to be first in line. He stood near the door and read a book on his Kindle while he waited. The door opened right at 9:00 and he made his way to the right office after checking the board on the wall to figure out where to go.

"Hello. My name is Kurt Hummel and I need to get a copy of a birth certificate and a death certificate."

"Good morning, Mr. Hummel. You'll need to fill out both of these forms. Once you've finished, please get in line over there."

Kurt sat and filled in all of the questions. It took him several minutes for each form. He got in line where he was supposed to.

"Mr. Hummel, these records are from more than ten years ago. It will take some time to provide you with the official copies that you need. That will be $50. Please take this invoice to the cashier. Once you have a receipt to show that you've paid, bring it back over here and we'll get started. You'll need to wait over on the benches and we'll call your name once the documents are ready to go."

Kurt paid the invoice, showed the receipt to the clerk and took a seat on the bench. He was glad he still carried his Kindle around. At least he'd have something to do while he waited. He read for a while, but then he decided to text Sebastian.

To Sebastian: _Entertain me._

From Sebastian: _Hmm. It's pretty hard to sing or dance for you through a text message. I could take you dancing next week. There are some nice clubs around here._

To Sebastian: _You'll have to get me a better fake ID. I don't think that Chaz Donaldsworth is going to pass the test in Paris._

From Sebastian: _The clubs here are 18 and up. You don't need a fake ID._

To Sebastian: _Well, as long as you pretend like we're there together, okay? I don't think I'm up for going otherwise._

From Sebastian: _Why do you need entertained anyway?_

To Sebastian: _I'm sitting on a bench in the Health Department waiting for them to prepare the official records your mom said I might need._

From Sebastian: _A bench? Not even a chair?_

To Sebastian: _Clearly they need a new interior designer because obviously the one that chose this bench never had to sit on it for more than an hour._

From Sebastian: _Future entertainment - I've been coming up with a few ideas, but they'll be a surprise._

To Sebastian: _Okay. Can I ask you a question?_

From Sebastian: _You can ask me anything, you know that._

To Sebastian: _Were the texts that you and Blaine sent each other "family friendly"?_

From Sebastian: _I guess that depends on what you'd consider "family friendly". They weren't lewd or sexual. But I've already told you that I didn't really want to date him. The texts weren't nice though. Are you sure you want me to answer this?_

To Sebastian: _Yes, please. I'm trying to work some things out in my mind and I have to see him again, possibly tomorrow and definitely on Sunday._

From Sebastian: _Okay. I will say that I wish you had asked this in person. I'm going to call you instead of continuing to type on my phone._

" _Here goes. They consisted of a lot of complaining on his part. How you spent too much time with Sam. How you didn't appreciate the solo he sang for class because you didn't participate when everyone was dancing along. How you kept talking about college and New York. How Finn was singing lead on a song, when he was obviously better suited. How he should just replace Finn because he and Rachel's level of talent were matched, unlike Finn. How you worked too many hours, studied too much, didn't spend enough time with him. A lot of whining._ "

Kurt asked, " _And from your side?_ "

" _I suggested that he break up with you if was unhappy. I supported his belief that he is a better singer than Finn. I agreed with his whining. I didn't offer him anything to break up with you. Even if he wasn't being a jerk to you, he's just not my type. He's too into himself and needs too much attention. It's like being around a four year old. Don't get me wrong, I like kids, but they are exhausting at that age. - Look at me, watch me, isn't my drawing amazing, chase me, swing me- It's never ending. He'd always change the topic right back to himself. And he wasn't kind in the things he said about a lot of people. He badmouthed most of the New Directions. And I did ask him how to get a stain out of my blazer. I didn't want to take it to the cleaners. He told me the New Directions' Regionals plans without any questioning on my part. I just used the info against him, but even that didn't get you to really look at how he treated you. I had hoped that getting the whole club mad would trigger you to think more. I thought maybe you would demand to see his text messages to me._ "

Kurt said, " _I see._ "

Sebastian responded, " _I can only imagine what you thought the texts and phone calls were like._ "

" _Yeah._ "

" _So why ask me now? What have you been thinking about?_ "

" _Well, when I met him the morning after our long talk, he had a box of my stuff I had asked for. When he put it in my truck, I reminded him to keep his mouth shut about our personal issues and told him that if he needed to talk to someone that he should see a therapist. I was angry and didn't want him blabbing to Rachel because she's the most likely person he would go to and she can't keep a secret. But I've been going over things in my mind on and off. Asking myself how I let myself get caught up in such a a mess. Then I got to thinking about how I'd studied all of those personality disorders for psychology, but not in depth. But the more I think about him, the more I think maybe he really need a therapist. He insisted that the texts between the two of you were family friendly, but I thought he was lying. But I'm really wondering a lot of things now. He thought you were junior. He thought you were interested."_

Kurt paused.

" _This next part falls into the 'I have never told anyone this.' realm. I'm trusting you to keep this between us._ "

" _You have my word._ "

" _He never loved me romantically. You figured that out before I did. But you mentioned that he was on academic probation last year. He would have had to have known how he was doing and whether it was good enough to remain at Dalton by late March. He would have had his midterm grades by then. It was around that time that he suddenly realized that he did have feelings and that he wanted us to date and be boyfriends. But in trying to piece everything together, I just have to wonder if whether he already knew that he would be forced out of Dalton. I was offering him unconditional love and acceptance and he knew that. He knew me well enough to know that I would stick with him. I had stuck with him through all of that crap he pulled with Jeremiah and Rachel._ "

" _Kurt..._ "

Struggling not to cry, " _I just feel like he chose me because he knew I wouldn't leave him. That's not the same as being chosen because he wanted me. I know now that he never wanted me. He admitted it when I asked him. You've asked why I blush easily. I mean honestly, he never paid me compliments. And the neanderthals just insulted me. You've seen how that went when we were at Breadstix. But all of me wasn't enough for him._ "

" _Kurt..._ "

" _You're right. I shouldn't have asked you this on the phone. Now, I'm sitting in a government office on bench crying. Ugh_."

Kurt got his crying under control.

" _Maybe we can talk more later, but I have a lot more to think about. Thank you for being honest. I need the truth to figure out where to go from here. The more I think, the more I think he may have a personality disorder. But if he does, then maybe Rachel does too. They're so much alike. I have to go for now. They're calling my name. I'll see you soon. I miss you._ " Kurt hung up.

"Mr. Hummel," the clerk yelled a little louder.

"Yes, I'm here."

Kurt walked up to the counter and collected the certificates. He put them in a folder in his bag to keep them in good condition. It was only 11:00. He went back out to his truck and texted Sam telling him that he was on his way and asked him if he could make them some type of quick lunch.

Sam had lunch ready when Kurt got there. They ate and Kurt dropped Sam off and made it to the shop just a few minutes before noon. "I'm sorry I'm late Cassius. It took them two hours to get what I needed. And I'm leaving at 6:00. Dad came back to town early and we're all having dinner tonight at home. I haven't seen him much lately."

"No problem, Kurt. You told me yesterday that you might be late. I've dealt with government offices before. "Hurry up and wait." should be their motto. You've been a big help this week. Will you come in when you're back later in June?"

"I'm not sure. I may have too much to do to get ready to move. We'll just have to see. So, don't put me on the schedule, but if I have extra time, I'll come in and help with whatever is most urgent at the time"

"Good deal."

Kurt put on his overalls and fixed cars until he got all of the jobs on his schedule done.

At 5:00, Kurt went to find Cassius. "Hey, Cassius?"

"Yeah?"

"I know I came in late, but I finished everything you had on my schedule to do today. Can I go ahead and leave? I remembered something that I need to call some one in France about and it's 11:00 at night over there already."

"It's fine, Kurt. You finished everything. That's good enough for me. I hope you have a great trip. And congratulations on graduating tomorrow!"

"Thanks, Cassius."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt stepped outside, walked around back, sat on the hood of a junker and texted Sebastian.

To Sebastian: I'm sorry that I'm texting so late. I really, really need to talk to you. Can I call you?

From Sebastian: Sure.

Kurt called.

Sebastian answered, "What's up? Is something wrong?"

"Not in the sense that I am hurt or in danger. I just need some more answers. Can you please tell me about the slushie incident? You said that it didn't go right or something like that when we talked the first time in the Dalton garden, but you've never explained it to me and I really need to know what happened."

"I really don't want to tell you this over the phone. Can't this wait until you're here?"

"Please, Sebastian."

"Okay. You remember being at the Lima Bean the afternoon that I walked in and told you guys that the Warblers were going to do Michael songs for Regionals, right?"

"Of course."

"The fact that I told everyone that Blaine had leaked your plan made everyone upset with him. He wanted a way to get back into the New Directions' good graces. So, he came up with a plan. The 'Jackson-Off' in the parking garage."

"Yeah, he said we should 'take it to the streets' like Michael in Glee the next day."

"He was the one that arranged the meeting. And he was the one that came up with the slushie idea. How would I know that the 'losers' at McKinley were targeted with them? Blaine told me that. He said that if I slushied you, and he intervened that he could get back on the good side of the New Directions and that it would get you to pay more attention to him since he was feeling neglected because all you were talking about was college again."

"Oh, my God. I was starting to get my finalists letters letting me know whether I had moved forward to the audition phase or not."

"So, I set it up. I told the Warblers that it was just a joke that the popular kids played on the losers at your school and that it would be a harmless way to make you all feel inferior. I didn't know about the rock salt until after Blaine called me asking what was in the slushie. I told him that I didn't put anything in it. He insisted that I find out what it was. I mass texted the Warbler list and about ten minutes later I got text from an unknown sender telling me that the sender had noticed that the slushie cup wasn't full and that he had scooped up some snow and sloshed it around so the cup would be full. It was then that it dawned on me that it must have had rock salt in it from the snow that had been added to the slushie. I called Blaine back and told him about the potential rock salt so that the doctor could help him more effectively."

"So, he planned for you to slushie me so he could be the hero and make me pay attention to him and get the New Directions to focus on your villainous behavior rather than his inability to keep his mouth shut about our Regionals set list?"

"Exactly."

"But why did you agree?"

"I was sick of everyone thinking that he was such a great guy. I was sick of his whining. It seemed like a fun way to get to slushie him and I was hoping that you would somehow find out that it was his plan. I know. Stupid. But the whole thing was set up really quickly and I should have thought about it more. I wish I had never agreed to it. It was never supposed to end with someone actually getting hurt. I thought that after everyone knew he was texting and calling me that you might snatch his phone to see what we talked about all the time."

"How did you manage to not get expelled with Dalton's zero tolerance bullying policy?

"Well, honestly, in my boredom when I arrived here last summer I actually read the entirety of the Dalton handbook. The 'No Bullying' policy can only be enforced when both parties are either Dalton students or staff members. So, I knew I might get reprimanded verbally for unsportsmanlike behavior or whatever if someone called the school and complained, but that there would be no way the school could contact my dad over a complaint that wouldn't go in my record."

"So, what happened when Figgins called the Headmaster at Dalton?"

"I was called in and I told him that it was a prank gone wrong and that it was Blaine's idea. I showed the Headmaster the texts between us and the one I had sent out seeking details on the slushie's contents and the text I had gotten in response."

"So, you told the truth. What did the Headmaster do?"

"He called Blaine's dad, who in turn asked Blaine. He confessed that it was his idea to start with. That was the end of it. It was chalked up to a prank gone wrong and I didn't get any punishment."

"I see."

"Although, I will say the song with Santana was a lot of fun. I knew she was up to something when she contacted me to meet up at school. No one drives an hour and a half without a good reason. I had her go around to the back of the school where those outdoor stairs lead down into that basement music performance room. I left the door ajar before she got there."

"You didn't want her to have an actual pass so she could legitimately walk around the school. Probably a good move on your part."

"I knew the situation was already resolved. I already knew that Blaine's dad wasn't going to come after me because he didn't want Blaine dragged into court where he would be required to tell the truth. So admitting to her what was in the slushie wasn't going to change anything. Even with the 'evidence', it would have had to be Blaine's family who pressed charges and Blaine didn't want any of you to know it was his idea, so he had already convinced his dad to do nothing. Plus, I never actually said that I was the the one that put rock salt in the slushie."

"I get it."

"And then you had to go be your magnanimous self and give me the tape. It was getting hard to keep up the façade of not liking you by then."

"How did you manage to keep the lead singer position after that?"

"When we got back to Dalton that afternoon from the trip to McKinley, the guys laid into me. They didn't know about the fact that Blaine had to have surgery until Santana came to Dalton the day before. I had told them that I didn't know who had put the rock salt into the slushie. They had believed me until you had that tape that had my supposed confession on it. I'm the son of a lawyer. I did not answer, 'I put rock salt in the slushie.' She asked 'What was in that slushie?' and I answered, 'rock salt'. I played the tape for them. I told them again that I did not put rock salt in the slushie. I showed them the anonymous text I had gotten. They all realized that it was just an accident. But no one confessed. By then I wished I had never met Blaine Anderson."

"I know that feeling."

"It was not long after the visit to McKinley that I had decided that I wasn't going to have any contact with Blaine anymore. I just couldn't do it. You were being so nice after I had been so awful. And nothing I had done was getting you to see what was going on. My only hope at that point was that he had not deleted our conversations and that you would somehow check his texting log and see that the whole thing had been his idea. I knew that if I showed you my phone, that you would just say that I had somehow made fake text logs."

"Yeah."

Kurt just sat on the hood staring, in a daze. There was so much to process. Blaine needed help.

"Are you there, Kurt?"

"I'm here. I'm just stunned. He needs help."

"That's true, but I'm really glad that he's not going to hurt you anymore."

"Thank you for answering me and talking to me so late at night. Sam's here to get me and I have to go home to our Friday night family dinner. Can I tell him what you told me?"

"Sure. I know you trust him."

"I do, but I don't tell other people's secrets. And I can't tell him about this without telling him your part in it."

"I know. It was stupid. I was stupid. But Sam knowing won't make it worse."

"Thanks for telling me everything. I know you feel terrible about your part in it."

"I do."

"I gotta go. Sam's texting me looking for me. I'm sitting out back where he couldn't see me when he pulled in. I'll see you Monday."

"Bye, Kurt."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam pulled up to pick Kurt up, but didn't see him anywhere. He parked and went inside thinking that Kurt had lost track of time, but Cassius told him that Kurt had left an hour ago. Sam texted him asking where he was. He walked around the building to find Kurt sitting on the hood of a clunker, all blotchy from crying. Kurt slid off as Sam approached. Sam pulled him into a hug.

"Kurt what's wrong. Why are you crying?"

"Let's get in the Navigator. I don't want to talk about it out here. Drive down the block to that old feed store's parking lot and pull over."

Sam did what Kurt asked. "Now, can you tell me what's wrong?"

"I don't know. I intentionally kept things from you about Blaine. I knew there was animosity on both sides, but you're my best friend and he was my boyfriend. I didn't want to lose either of you. But it feels weird that Sebastian knows all of these things that you don't because you and I have been friends for so long and I've only recently become friends with him."

"Okay. You know you're not really making any sense."

"I know, but if I tell you these things, you will hate Blaine and we have to see him possibly tomorrow and more than likely on Sunday. You have to promise me to absolutely just stay away from him completely. Like if he gets within five feet of you, you will walk to another part of the room."

"That bad?"

"Yes."

"Wow. I promise to stay away from him unless he's bothering you. You have always had my back. I will always have yours."

"Okay. Call Carole and tell her that we're running late. She'll be able to tell that I'm crying. Tell her we'll be an hour late."

Sam called. "Done. Let's move to the backseat because this story sounds like it's going to need hugs."

They both got out and moved to the back. Kurt told Sam everything starting with the GAP Attack and ending with what Blaine had told him the afternoon after school at home. By the end, Sam was holding Kurt. His shirt was soaked from Kurt crying on him and tears running down his own face.

"He needs help," Kurt repeated several times at the end of his story.

"The only reason he doesn't need a casket is because I already promised you I would leave him alone."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They both quickly greeted Carole and claimed they needed showers and they'd be right back down. They managed to pull off eating dinner with everyone without giving away how upset they both were.

"Games or movie?"

Sam and Kurt both said, "Movie." It was the easiest way to avoid talking for a while longer.

"I figured that would be the answer, so I got _Contagion_. I think it will appeal to everyone. It has actors Kurt likes, action that Finn and Burt like and it's a sci fi scenario that Sam will like."

"What about you?" Kurt asked.

"Finding a movie everyone likes makes me like it," she laughed.

They went downstairs and watched the movie. Kurt sat on the couch on the end farthest from Finn and Sam sat down in the middle. Once the movie started, Kurt tucked his feet into the corner of the couch, leaned on Sam and used his shoulder as a pillow. Sam slid his hand over and took Kurt's hand and just held it until the movie ended. Kurt stood up as soon as the movie ended.

"That was cool," Sam said.

"Yeah," agreed Finn.

"I'm going to head up to bed. What time are we eating breakfast?" asked Kurt.

"9:00," Carole said. "You and Sam have had a lot early mornings lately. I'm hoping that will give you both time to get a little extra sleep. You can leave at 10:30 to get up to the school in time to get your robes on and whatever else they have you do until the ceremony starts at 12:00. Burt and I will be there for that. Sam, you can go with them or wait and go with us."

"Good night, guys. We're headed up too." Burt said.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam put his pajamas on, looked out his door, made sure that Finn was nowhere to be seen and he texted Kurt.

To Kurt: Open your door and let me in.

He pulled his door shut and waited in front of Kurt's. The door opened quietly and Sam went in. Kurt locked the door back, got back in bed and Sam climbed in with him.

"Are you alright?"

"Not yet. But I'll be okay."

"Want me to stay?"

"Please?"

"Always."


	10. Chapter 10

am woke up before Kurt and nudged him just enough to get his attention. "Hey, Kurt. It's 7:30. I think you must have forgotten to set your alarm and I didn't set mine either. Are you ready to get up?"

"No, stay here. Kurt moved closer and laid his head on Sam's shoulder. I need super powers for today."

"You and me both."

"So are you going with me and Finn or waiting to go with Dad and Carole?"

"With you. If he-who-shall-not-be-named is there for some reason, I want to make sure he leaves you alone."

"He's complied with everything I asked him so far. He hasn't bothered me at all."

"Yeah, but I'm going to make sure it stays that way. I wish I had kicked his butt when I came back last fall."

"Don't say that. You know that Sebastian is right. I wouldn't have listened to either of you. I'm going to see if the university offers free counseling. If not, I'll look into finding someone off campus. I have to make sure that I am never in the position to allow this to happen to me again. I got too needy. I wanted a boyfriend too badly. I wanted someone to want me and I gave up so much of myself to get that and still didn't have someone that wanted me."

"Well, his loss because you are awesome."

"You are biased."

"I only speak the truth. I only speak the truth." Sam started sing-chanting.

Kurt sat up and started tickling Sam.

"Now, wait," Sam said between laughing. "You always say that tickling is off limits."

"It's definitely off limits to tickle me. Now, you on the other hand..."

Sam managed to snag a pillow and whack Kurt with it. Kurt grabbed the other pillow and hit him back. It didn't take long before they were chasing each other around the room walloping each other with the pillows. A knock was heard on the door. Kurt went to open it and was laughing too hard to say anything except, "Yes?"

"It's been a while since I've heard crazy laughter this early in the morning, and I'll take it. But if you don't tone it down, you're going to wake Burt up."

Burt walked up behind her, "Too late for that. I'm already up. What are you two boys doing chasing each other around like six year olds before 8:00 in the morning?"

"Well..."

"You see..."

"Uh huh. No reason I see," Burt laughed. "Get ready you two."

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, Dad."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt got dressed and coiffed his hair before going downstairs to eat. He was somewhat surprised to find the juice, milk and several boxes of cereal on the table. Sam and Finn came down right after him.

Finn spoke up, "Cereal, Mom?"

"We're having a big birthday breakfast for Kurt tomorrow. I'm saving up my cooking for that," she teased.

"It's fine. I'll just have a bowl of each kind," Finn said as he grabbed the box closest to him.

"I'm going to go up to the school with Kurt and Finn," Sam told Carole.

"That's fine, honey."

"I want to take a few pictures before you guys leave. So, don't leave without telling me."

"Okay, Mom."

"Finn, are you riding with me and Sam?"

"No, I'm going to take my truck so Rachel can ride with me to the restaurant afterwards."

"Okay."

Kurt got up and put his bowl and spoon in the dishwasher and Sam was right behind him.

"Is it okay if we leave now?" Kurt asked Sam. "I'd like to get a coffee at the Lima Bean before we go."

"Sure, just let me go grab my phone."

"Hey, Carole. Sam and I are going to head out, so I'm ready for the pictures you wanted to take."

"Finn, wipe your mouth. Come stand with Kurt so I can get a few of the two of you together. You can go back to eating in a few minutes while I take some of him by himself."

Kurt and Finn moved to where Carole told them to and smiled for the photos. Finn went back to the kitchen and Carole took a few more of Kurt by himself.

"Thanks, Kurt."

"No problem. I'll see you at the ceremony."

Sam and Kurt left in search of caffeine.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam just sat in the back row of the auditorium while Kurt and Finn put their robes on and practiced lining up in the hallway and the processional into the auditorium. The students were lined up down the left side of the auditorium after they entered. They were told to wait for their name to be called, walk up on stage, receive their diploma, pause for their photo to be taken, walk off the stage through the stage left wings and into the hall where the photographer was set up to take their photos with their diploma and then they were to return to the stage the way they exited and line up on the stage on the risers.

After they had successfully practiced this, Coach Beiste called the photographers up on stage. She had all of the students move their tassels to the opposite side for the photo and she made sure that everyone could be seen, rearranging some of the seniors as needed. The group photos were taken then and the photographers left the stage.

Coach Beiste reminded them to just file onto the stage in rows, and not move around during the ceremony. She told them to be in place in the hallway at 11:45. They were released after Coach Beiste was convinced they could do it correctly.

Kurt walked over to Sam and asked him to follow him. "I want you to take a photo of me."

They walked all the way out to the edge of the parking lot where the concrete sign for the school was. Kurt slipped his big black beetle brooch out of his pocket and fastened it to his robe.

"Coach Beiste won't let me wear it during the ceremony," he said as he pinned it on. Handing Sam his phone, he said, "Take a picture of me by the sign with the brooch on my robe. Then, I'll go put it in the Navigator." Kurt stood in a standard boring graduation photo pose, then several crazy fabulous poses.

"Thanks, Sam."

He just laughed and followed Kurt back to the Navigator. On the way back to the building, Kurt texted one of the crazy photos to Sebastian.

They went back inside and Kurt returned to where the seniors were gathering in the hallway and Sam went to save seats for the Hummels in the auditorium. He texted Carole to let her know to come find him inside when they got there.

The ceremony started on time and the seniors filed in. Principal Figgins gave a brief welcome and then surprisingly both Miss Pillsbury and Coach Beiste each gave speeches. The valedictorian had opted to not speak. After Coach Beiste finished, she moved off the stage into the left wings, Principal Figgins and Miss Pillsbury remained on stage and the seniors were called up in alphabetical order.

"...Finn Hudson..."

Carole cheered loudly. Finn smiled when he heard her and walked up and got his diploma, hugging Miss Pillsbury as she handed it to him.

"...Kurt Hummel..."

Burt yelled, "That's my boy!" and made Kurt laugh. He regained his poise and collected his diploma bowing slightly before he exited stage left.

A few minutes later, "...Noah Puckerman..." Sam whooped for him. He didn't know whether Puck's mom would show up or not and he knew how hard Puck had worked.

Once all the names had been called and all of the seniors were on the risers, Miss Pillsbury spoke up and said, "The seniors from our own National Championship winning show choir have a song to share with their classmates."

Three mic stands were brought out on stage. The Glee club members moved off of the risers and stood in groups of three around the mics facing the other seniors. The intro to "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts began to play. The verses were split equally between the 9 seniors and they sang the chorus together. When they finished, they split and stood at the ends of the front row of seniors on stage.

Principal Figgins said some closing words and congratulated the seniors. The auditorium filled with applause and the stage curtains shut. The seniors returned their robes to the gym. Kurt went out to the Navigator, put his tassel and diploma in the backseat and grabbed his NYADA envelope and went back into the school. He found his parents in the hallway near the auditorium.

Burt grabbed him and hugged him. "You did it!" Burt got Sam to take a picture of the two of them. Kurt reminded them that he and Sam would be on their way to the restaurant after he opened his letter with Finn and Rachel. And he left to go meet them.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Finn, Rachel and Kurt met in the choir room. They tossed their letters onto the stool in the center of the room.

Finn volunteered to go first. He opened his letter. "I didn't get in," he said in a monotone indicating that he hadn't really expected to. He and Kurt turned to Rachel. Rachel took hers from the stool and opened her letter. She began to cry. "I didn't get in." She handed the letter to Kurt, who read it and noticed that there was a second page from Madame Tibideaux herself. He began to read it out loud.

"Dear Miss Berry,

I was quite impressed with your performance at Nationals this year. You are a very talented performer. I congratulate your school on winning.

However, I was unimpressed that you thought that sending me a ticket to Nationals would persuade me to change my mind after I had been quite clear with my answer to your repeated requests. I attend Nationals every year to see upcoming talent. I saw you perform last year and appreciated your talent, if not your on-stage behavior.

Your repeated pleading for another attempt at an audition this year and your continued belief that I could be swayed to change my mind after I had made it clear that each student gets one audition suggests that you have been given preferential treatment for far too long and you have become entitled. It calls into question your status as the lead singer with the most solos in your show choir and the lead in your school's plays.

Students at NYADA spend much of their time being corrected and must learn to accept correction without argument. The school is a place to learn, to collaborate, and to hone the already considerable talent our students have. NYADA is not a place for people who don't accept being told that they need more work to be ready for a role they want.

I suggest that you take the next six months to pursue some professional parts locally. You need to figure out whether you actually want to pursue an education and training at NYADA. Our school is a place where you will work hard and be challenged daily. Performing is a field where you will hear no more frequently than yes. After you have had some time to mature, please feel free to reapply for admission in November for next school year. Our school would benefit from someone with your level of talent.

Sincerely,

Carmen Tibideaux

"Entitled? She thinks I'm entitled. I got the leads all the time because I'm more talented."

"Rachel, weren't you listening? She thinks you're talented and she's suggesting that you reapply next year. That's good."

"No, it's not. Everything's wrong. I'm meant to be in New York, not Ohio."

"Rachel, focus. You choked. You harassed her. I'm shocked that she was kind to you at all."

"What does yours say?" she asked Kurt.

Kurt picked his letter up off the stool and opened it. "I got in," he said quietly.

"No!" Rachel screamed. "You can't go to New York without me."

"Okay, Rachel. I know you are upset. I'm going to leave now. I'm not going to stand here while you yell at me." Kurt walked out of the choir room. Rachel tried to follow Kurt, but was held back gently by Finn, who pulled her into his arms.

Sam was waiting for him leaning against the Navigator.

"I can't believe she still thought that she would get in," Kurt said as he got close enough for Sam to hear him.

"This is Rachel you're talking about. She didn't listen. She doesn't listen. Anything that goes wrong is someone else's fault. What about Finn? Did he get into that acting thing?"

"No. I don't think he expected to though. I think he only applied to make Rachel happy."

Kurt's phone buzzed. "Dad says that Rachel's dads cancelled. They aren't going to meet us for lunch."

Sam looked at Kurt. "You didn't say anything about your letter."

"I got in." Sam offered a high five, but Kurt just raised his eyebrow. Sam put his hand down and hugged him instead.

"Do you wish you were going?"

"Let's get in."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt started talking against once they were in the Navigator and on their way to the restaurant.

"In a way I would like to go, but Connecticut is a much better plan. I wouldn't audition for Broadway roles until I had graduated anyway. I really want a degree. I feel like there is so much more I need to learn. Raw talent is good, but real knowledge will make me a better singer and a better candidate later. I don't feel ready for a big role right now. All I've ever had was that non-singing role in _West Side Story_. That's not really experience. Studying at a good music school will give me opportunities to perform with instruction and support. I can get that in Hartford without strapping myself with a lifetime of debt."

"Have you told anyone at McKinley yet?"

"Your parents, my parents, Jeff, Nick, Thad, and Sebastian are the only people who know besides the two of us. My parents are really good at keeping quiet. They knew how much stress it would cause me for to have everyone else find out and they both know that Finn doesn't keep secrets from Rachel."

"Do you think Finn will go through with marrying Rachel?"

"I hope not. I know they love each other, but they have different paths, at least for the near future. Finn doesn't know what he wants to do. Rachel really wants the Broadway career. There was a second page in Rachel's letter – a letter from Madame Tibideaux giving Rachel some advice. She's going to have to buck up and follow the suggestions that she was given or just give up on NYADA and audition for other schools for next year."

"What was the advice?"

"Basically - stop behaving like an entitled princess, get some professional experience locally, learn to follow direction, and reapply next year."

"Wow. That's kinda harsh."

"Well, she did practically stalk Madame Tibideaux. I'm surprised she was kind at all. She's pretty well known for her straight-talk and serious attitude. She didn't ask for a restraining order or ban her from reapplying so I thought it was pretty generous given her tough reputation."

Kurt pulled into the parking lot of the Verdant Cornucopia and parked. He and Sam headed in and looked for the rest of their group. The hostess asked their name and led them to their table. They saw that Finn wasn't with them yet. They sat down, looked through the menu and they asked for some more time when the waitress came to take their orders.

Kurt texted Finn and told him that they were waiting on him. He was just sitting out in the parking lot. He came in and sat down with them. He looked through the menu and complained, "Salad, salad, and more salad."

"Finn, it's a vegetarian restaurant. And it was Rachel's idea to come here," Sam said.

Kurt pointed out, "You better get used to salad and vegetables. Rachel's vegan. You're planning to marry her. She's never going to make you burgers."

Finn shoulders drooped.

By the time the waitress came back, Finn had chosen a vegetable stir fry and everyone else was ready to order as well.

The meal was as celebratory as possible given the circumstances. They skipped dessert at the restaurant because Carole had ordered an ice cream cake at the Dairy Barn that was waiting for them at home.

They ate the cake when they got home and spent some time talking.

Carole said, "I really liked that song that you guys sang to the other seniors."

Sam responded, "That was Kurt's idea. The seniors worked on it the morning we cleaned up the stage area. He played a recording for Miss Pillsbury and convinced her to let them sing it at graduation."

"I liked hearing each individual sing. Everyone sounded so good."

They moved on to talking about getting ready for the parties that were scheduled the next day. All of the New Directions and Finn's other friends from the football team would be there. The football players were coming later in the day for game day or something. Kurt hadn't really been paying attention to that part. He and Sam would be gone by the time the jocks arrived.

"I'll be back down in a bit to start the cupcakes. I'm going to go change first."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam followed Kurt upstairs. He went into his room and changed quickly, then went to Kurt's room.

Sam sat down on Kurt's bed and asked him about the party. "Are you going to tell anyone else about Connecticut? Or are you just going to let them think that you're going to New York since I'm sure that Rachel and Finn have told everyone that you got into NYADA."

"I'd rather not talk to any of them about it. Do you want them to know that you're not coming back to McKinley in the fall? Tina, Artie, Joe, Sugar, and Blaine will be expecting you back. Rory's going to back to Ireland as far as I know."

"I've been thinking. I'm not going to tell people where I'm going, but at the graduation party, I am going to say that I won't be back at McKinley next year. I don't want to just leave like I did the last time. I want to say goodbye."

"I've decided not to tell where I am going. I'm just going to let people assume whatever they want to. I'll do my best to deflect any questions that would lead me to lie. Hopefully, we'll make it through the party with minimal drama, but I doubt it. Be forewarned, if Rachel lays into me again about how she should have gotten in because she deserved it and I don't have the training, talent, or experience that she has, I'm coming back up to my room and locking the door immediately."

"Got it. Rachel hassles you and you're outta there."

"I am planning to talk to her after everyone else is gone. I figure that she'll hang around for the second party and not go home in between. Want to help me make cupcakes?"

"Sure."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Working together, the cupcakes were done quickly. They washed up everything they used while the last batch was in the oven. They sat at the counter talking while they waited for them to cool enough to frost.

"So, tomorrow. Birthday breakfast. Then the party at noon."

"Yep," Sam responded.

"Then, I talk to Rachel."

"Good luck with that."

"Thanks, I'll need it. Then it will probably be time to head out. Are you packed and ready to go or do you still need to do that?"

"I need to do laundry again and pack up what I wash today with what I've already packed."

"My stuff is all in the suitcase, but I do need to double check that I have all of the paperwork and documents I need. I should probably go get some kind of protective document sleeve or case or something to put all of it in."

"That's a good idea."

"I'm going to go do that. Why don't you get your laundry done and when I come back we can watch a movie or something."

"We still have to frost those cupcakes."

"Let's do that now. I'll have to hide them in my closet after we get them packed up. Otherwise, FInn might snack on them when I'm not looking."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Hey Carole, I'm going to run out to pick up a document folder of some sort. Is there anything you need?"

"Actually, I'll just go with you, if you don't mind."

"Sure. I'll wait for you outside."

Carole climbed up into the Navigator. "I need to pick up more drinks and plates. I thought I had enough, but I realized when I got the paper plates out for the cake that I don't."

"Okay."

"I also just wanted to talk to you. You were really upset at dinner last night. I didn't bring it up because it was obvious that you didn't want to talk about it then."

"I didn't. I just found out something else really hurtful yesterday. It really made me see that Blaine needs help. I kept thinking that maybe he was just selfish and immature, but what I found out made me see that there was more to it than that. More manipulation than I had considered before. It involves someone besides just me and Blaine, so I won't go into it, but needless to say, he really needs help. I don't really know what to do."

"What do you mean? You can't be the one to help him."

"That's what I mean. I can't actually help him, but I don't want him to do to someone else what he did to me."

"I could try talking to his mom. I've never met her, which is kind of strange now that I think about it. The two of you dated for a long time for us to have never met his parents."

"I'm not even sure that they know that we dated. The few times that his mom came home when I was there, he never specifically introduced me as his boyfriend."

"What do his parents do?"

"His dad's an attorney for a firm in Ft. Wayne. They lived somewhere in Ohio close to Ft. Wayne before he transferred to Dalton. His parents moved to the outskirts of Lima so that he could go home more often. I'm not sure what his mom does. She travels during the week, but she's home on weekends. His dad stays in Ft. Wayne during the week a lot of the time."

"I see."

"We're here. I'll park here, near where you're going, and I'll walk over to Office Max. You know the key code to get in, right?" She nodded.

Kurt found a nice leather letter-sized document holder with an RFID liner that zipped. He debated on the expense. It was really nice, but quite expensive. He looked at other options, but eventually decided it would be a graduation gift to himself since it would last a lifetime. He bought it and met Carole back at the Navigator. He arrived right after she did and he loaded her purchases into the back and returned the cart for her.

"Let me see what you got," she said.

"It's a graduation gift to myself. It was expensive."

"Ooh, but it's lovely and so soft. I think it's really nice. It will go well with that leather satchel you have."

"That's what I thought, too."

"I'm taking my smaller cloth satchel to France, but it will still be nice later that the document holder and satchel to go together."

"I thought about what were talking about earlier and I don't really have any ideas yet, but I'll keep thinking about it."

"Thanks."

They talked about the party the next day and what else they needed to do to get ready for it on the way home.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Later, Kurt was back in his room looking through the paperwork and documents that he had on his desk when there was a knock at his door.

"Come in."

Burt and Carole came in and closed the door behind them. Burt sat in the chair by the window and Carole sat on his bed.

"We decided to give you your graduation gifts separately rather than at the party tomorrow," she said as she handed Kurt an envelope.

"Thank you."

He opened Carole's card and laughed at the joke on the card. Inside was a Kohl's card in his name and a gift card to Kohl's.

She said, "The Kohl's card is for you to start building your credit score. And the gift card is to help you and Sam furnish your new apartment. The credit card has a very low limit, just $200, but if you make a purchase and then pay it off, it will help you build your credit score up over time."

"Thank you. I actually learned about doing that in that class I had to take at Dalton last year about preparing for my future. So, I will use it wisely. And thanks for the gift card. I'll send you some photos of what I get."

"That will be fun to see."

Burt handed Kurt two envelopes. The greeting card from his dad was a sentimental one about fathers and sons. "Thanks, Dad." He opened the small envelope inside the card to find a prepaid VISA card. The larger envelope had a AAA membership card, along with a brochure and some paperwork.

"That's in case of emergency. I put $300 on it. I also got you and Sam a AAA membership in case you have trouble out on the road between here an Connecticut when you make trips back and forth. Or even around Hartford. I've never had one before but I've heard good things about it. You can also use the AAA card for discount travel stuff. They offer free maps, hotel discounts and other stuff. You can read about all of that in that information that came with it."

"Wow. Thanks, Dad. I hope to avoid any emergencies, but being prepared is always good. And I actually never thought about needing roadside service. You or the guys at the garage have always been there to come tow me if I couldn't fix the problem myself. These are great gifts. Thank you both." He got up and hugged them both and they left his room.

He went back to double-checking all of his documents and he added the AAA card to his stack of things to take. He put the stack of documents he already had stacked up and moved them to his bed and got out the small safe that his dad had given him a few weeks back. He opened it and he looked at the envelope that had been left for this by his mom. He hadn't noticed that there was faint writing on it the day his dad gave the safe to him and he honestly hadn't looked through the contents of the safe since then. He picked the envelope up and it was sealed.

On the outside it said, " _To my dearest Kurt: This is for your future. I hope it helps you achieve some small part of your dreams. I love you my precious son. Mom._ "

Tears began to fill his eyes as he moved the envelope to the document folio that he had bought. He put his passport and all of the other papers and documents in the leather folio as well. He closed the safe and put it back in his closet.

He went to find Sam to finalize their departure the next day.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt knocked on Sam's door. "Come in," he heard.

"How's the packing going?"

"I think I'm done. Just looking around to make sure I didn't leave anything out that I want to take."

"Did my dad come talk to you?"

"Yeah. That AAA card is cool. He also gave me a gas card for my trip."

"He's pretty amazing. I got a gift card to Kohl's to furnish our new apartment and an emergency VISA card in case I need it."

"So, tomorrow morning is your birthday breakfast. I totally plan on pigging out. I'll work out extra or something later. I am not passing up Carole's waffles with strawberries on top."

"I agree. Too good to pass up. That's why we're having them tomorrow. They're fantastic."

"So, then the party from like noon-3:00. Finn invited the football team upperclassmen to come at 6:00."

"We'll be long gone by then. I need to be at the airport at 6:00. So, we need to leave by 4:00. I say we load our stuff in the Navigator tomorrow after breakfast. Then we can just walk out the door when we're ready to leave. I might need a speedy escape."

"You and me both."

"So, I told Carole about how I think Blaine needs professional help. She said she would help me brainstorm. I've thought about trying to talk to him about it, but I'm not sure if it would do any good."

"I wish Miss Pillsbury was more helpful. But I suppose you could try to talk to her. Maybe she could talk to his parents?"

"Maybe. But I am definitely talking to Rachel tomorrow after the party."

"Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you."

"Ta da," as he pulled the laundry basket on the other side of his bed toward him, picked it up and handed it to Kurt. You did mine last time. I did yours."

"Thank you," he said as he took the basket from Sam.

"Movie tonight?"

"Sure. Come to my room after dinner and wear your pajamas. We'll watch two movies if we can manage to stay awake long enough."

"I'll pick something too thrilling to sleep through."

"Bring it," Kurt laughed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Burt and Finn had been decorating the house while Kurt, Carole and Sam were doing errands and chores. Carole joined in the decorating after the shopping trip. There was a big "Congratulations!" banner hanging in the dining room. Balloons were tied to chairs and a bright table cloth was waiting to be put on after breakfast the next morning. The counter was filled with plates, utensils and drinks.

Dinner was a quick affair. Carole made a huge pot of chili because it was easy and needed no watching. Everyone enjoyed their food, but finished quickly. Finn was heading over to Rachel's. Burt and Carole had a date night planned.

Kurt and Sam headed back upstairs and it didn't take long for Sam to show up in Kurt's room with a movie in hand. He locked the door behind him and jumped in Kurt's bed waiting for their double feature to start.

Kurt knelt on his bed with a movie behind his back. "So what have you brought to raise my sci fi IQ this evening, Mr. Evans?"

"You first, Mr. Hummel. What are you hiding behind your back to enlighten me on the classics?"

" _Father Goose_. You'll like it. It's funny."

"I like funny. The one I brought is not terribly sci fi, but it's really good. You'll like it. It's called _Real Steel_."

Kurt turned off the light, grabbed the wood breakfast tray with legs that he kept under his bed and handed it to Sam. Kurt picked up his laptop off his dresser and climbed in bed. Sam set up the tray and Kurt put the laptop on it. Sam loaded _Father Goose_ and they slid back and leaned against the headboard. When it finished they watched _Real Steel_. They were both right - they liked the other's movie. When they finished, Sam put the tray with the laptop on it on the floor and they went to sleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't fall back asleep. He picked up his phone and texted Sebastian.

To Sebastian: _1 more day. I just have to live through the graduation party and then I'll be on my way._

From Sebastian: _Happy Birthday!_

To Sebastian: _Thanks. I didn't even think about it since it's 3 in the morning._

From Sebastian: _Why are you awake?_

To Sebastian: _No idea. Maybe just the dread and the excitement._

From Sebastian: _Dread?_

To Sebastian: _The party. Rachel will be here and she didn't get into NYADA. I did. Blaine will be here too._

From Sebastian: _Congratulations on your acceptance letter. Did you change your mind? Are you going to go to New York instead?_

To Sebastian: _No. Sam and I are going to Hartford, just like we've been planning. I know it was sort of selfish. I really just wanted to know if I was good enough. I know my turning down the acceptance will make someone on the NYADA wait list happy, at least._

From Sebastian: _So how does it feel to know that you are good enough?_

To Sebastian: _Surprising. Exciting. Really unusual. It's liberating actually. It makes me feel more like I deserve the scholarship, like I belong in a music school._

From Sebastian: _Good. You do belong in music school._

To Sebastian: _I better try to go back to sleep. I have a long day ahead of me. I'll see you tomorrow._

From Sebastian: _I'll be there._

Kurt put his phone back on the shelf next to his bed and tried to relax and go back to sleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next time he woke up, it was because someone was knocking on his door. He got up to answer it.

"Hey, Carole. Are we late for breakfast?"

"No, sweetie. Your dad and I wanted to talk to you before breakfast. Can you come downstairs?"

"Sure. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll be down." Kurt went and splashed some water on his face and brushed his teeth before heading downstairs.

"Morning, Dad."

"Good morning to you, kiddo. So, 19."

"Yep. 19."

"We wanted to give you your birthday gift before breakfast. At least one of them," he said as he handed Kurt an envelope.

Kurt opened it. "Euros?"

"Yes, we went to the bank on Friday and got you $100 in euros. That way you'll have some spending money in France."

"Thanks guys. That's one thing I hadn't actually thought about. I use cash so infrequently anymore."

"Yeah. You should probably talk to Sebastian's mom about whether it's better to withdraw cash in Euros or just use your debit card. What is her name anyway? She told me on the phone that day, but I didn't catch it."

"Lisette."

"Is everything all set for your trip?"

"Yes. Sam and I are packing the car this morning before anyone arrives. I'm still not planning on telling anyone that I'm going to France or Connecticut. I'm just going to let them think whatever they want. I'm sure by now that all of them know that I got into NYADA and that Rachel did not. They will want to do their best to avoid the topic of New York to avoid listening to her rant about not getting in, which will hopefully make it easier to not talk about where I'm going."

"I can't say that I understand why you don't want people to know that you got a full scholarship to study music, but it's your life."

"Thanks, Dad."

"We have one last thing for you, but we'll give it to you at breakfast," Carole said.

"You didn't need to get me anything else," Kurt insisted.

"We know, sweetie. But we wanted to. You never ask for anything, but we know you'll like it."

"If you insist," Kurt responded. "I should go get ready. Do you want help with breakfast?"

"It's your birthday. You don't need to help make your own birthday breakfast."

"Okay, then I'll just go get ready."

When he got back up to his room, Sam was gone. He got ready for the day. When he went back downstairs, Finn and Sam were at the table with his dad and Carole was just sitting down to join them.

"Happy Birthday to you..." they all sang.

"Thanks."

"Open my present first," Finn said as his slid a card across the table to Kurt.

"Thanks, Finn," he said as he opened it and found an iTunes card inside.

"I figured you love music, so I couldn't go wrong with letting you pick it out yourself."

"You're right. Perfect gift." Finn smiled.

"Mine next," Sam said. He pulled a flat box up from the side of his chair and handed it to Kurt.

Kurt looked perplexed. He tore the wrapping paper off and carefully opened the box. It was a painting. A painting of a wooded area. The place where Kurt went to think when he needed to find peace. The only person he had ever taken there was Sam.

"Sam, it's beautiful. Thank you." He was holding it where only he could see it.

"What is it, honey?"

He turned it around and showed it to everyone else.

"That's really good, Sam," Burt said. "I don't think I've ever seen one of your paintings."

"Dude, you're like Picasso good," Finn exclaimed.

"Sam, Finn's right." Carole said. "You're really talented. And the painting is lovely."

Sam just smiled in response.

"I love this. I'm going to go put this upstairs in my room. I'll be right back."

Kurt hurried back downstairs and started filling his plate with waffles and strawberries, turkey bacon and started eating. Everyone else followed suit. Burt told stories about Kurt when he was younger and things he had asked for as birthday presents over the years, causing some embarrassment and a lot of laughter.

When they finished, Carole handed Kurt a small envelope. "Happy Birthday, honey."

Kurt opened it and found an Amazon card. "It's to pay for a year of Kindle Unlimited. We know how much you like to read and that will let you read over a million books and listen to thousands of audiobooks for a whole year," Burt said.

"We figured it might come in handy for school and with as many books as you borrow from the library that it would just be easier for you to read them on your Kindle," Carole added.

"It's great. I always end up buying books for my Kindle. I won't have nearly as much expendable cash once I leave. This will be fantastic. You guys are great. Thank you."

"You're welcome, kiddo."

Sam and Finn cleared the dishes and loaded the dishwasher. Kurt wiped the table off and dried it and Carole helped him get the tablecloth on for the graduation party. Carole pointed and said, "The centerpiece still needs popped up and fluffed out. It's over there on the counter." Kurt grabbed it, assembled it and put it in the center of the table.

Kurt went upstairs and brought his Kindle back down. He loaded the Amazon card and started his membership. He was sitting at the table browsing through all his book choices.

"You look like a kid in a candy store," Carole said.

"Oh, this is better than a candy store. Unlimited choices and no gaining any weight from consuming too much."

She just laughed at him. "I'm glad you like it."

"Mmm hmm," he said as he continued browsing.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

About an hour later, Sam came in the room holding Kurt's suitcase. "Earth to Kurt."

Kurt looked up.

"I think you've fallen into Wonderland there. Come on, help me load the Navigator before people start to get here. You know that some of them are going to show up early."

"Sorry. Here, give me that."

Sam ran upstairs and grabbed the stuff he wast taking to Kentucky. They met at the Navigator and put everything in.

They went back inside and up to Kurt's room. Kurt shut the door behind them.

"The painting is beautiful. It's going to be the first thing we hang in our new apartment. It will be like bringing my peaceful place with me."

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it." He pulled Sam into a hug. "I'm going to miss you."

"Nah, you'll be having too much fun."

"There is never enough fun to make me not miss you, silly."

Kurt took one of the pictures off his wall and stuck it in his closet and hung his new painting instead. He pulled out his phone and took a photo of it so he would have it with him.

"It's been too long since we took a selfie together. Sit in the chair." Kurt half sat in Sam's lap, half in the chair and held out his phone to snap a shot of the two of them. "There, that's better."

"Send it to me."

"Done."

"So shall we go face the onslaught of insanity that will be arriving at any time?"

Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Come on, it could be fun."

"You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are," Kurt quoted.

"Cute. An Alice quote after I said you were in Wonderland."

"Well, it's true. You are entirely crazy, but in totally good way. Let's go down there and face the Red Queen."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Tina and Mike were the first to arrive. Kurt showed them were to put the cookies that Tina had made and the Asian dish that Mike had brought.

"What's that called," Kurt asked Mike as he sat the dish on the table.

Mike answered, saying the name in Chinese, then clarifying, "It's Chinese potato salad."

"It looks good. I'm going to try some later." Mike smiled.

By the time everyone had arrived, there were bags of chips, more cookies, hot dogs and buns, baked beans, macaroni salad, potato salad, an all-veggie chopped salad, mac and cheese, salsa, some kind of chili cheese dip, and several chip dips.

"Listen up," Finn said. "Burt's got the grill going already and the hamburgers and hot dogs should be done soon. We're going to eat in the dining room and out on the deck. Grab a plate and grab what you want from the grill. Vegan meats are available in the kitchen."

Everyone lined up and filled their plates and found a place to eat.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt waited to go through the line until the end so he could pick a spot to eat as far from Rachel and Blaine as possible. He ended up sitting on the back porch with Puck.

"Was that guy you had an appointment to see any help?"

"Oh, yeah. He was cool. I'm going to sign up for some job training thing and take an assessment of some sort to help figure out what I could train to do quickly. I need to get a decent job so I can get my own place. Once I get my own place, I'm going to have my sister move in with me and work on getting my ma to sign over custody. She doesn't want to take care of her anyway. I'm hoping that she'll do it. The guy got me an appointment for a free lawyer in a couple of months. It takes so long because there's a lot of people who can't afford lawyers, but it will take me that long to get a place. So, hopefully it will all work out. She's willing to move school districts. So, any decent place I can find will work. She starts junior high school next fall. I think it might be better if she went to another school anyway. There won't be the Puckerman name for her to live down to. I made a lot of mistakes and I don't want her to pay for them."

"That's a lot of progress."

"Yeah. I never really wanted to go to college anyway. I'm not stupid. I just don't like school. I like to do things. Work with my hands."

"You know, my dad's shop is going to need help when I leave for school. If you're serious about all of this, I'll give you a recommendation. I'll tell Cassius you're a hard worker. He'll train you to do the basic stuff, like oil changes and tire rotations. If you like it, you could pursue becoming a mechanic. The pay is good and gets better the more training you have."

"Are you serious?"

"You have to show up and work hard, but if you promise me you will, I'll tell him you'll do a good job."

"You're the best. I will TOTALLY show up and work hard. No one will give me a chance around here because I've been such a screw up. But that's over. I've grown up. I need to make something of myself."

"Follow me." Puck got up and followed Kurt to the back of the yard. Kurt pulled his phone out and called the shop.

"Hey Cassius, I'm going to send someone down to the shop tomorrow to fill the position that I'm leaving vacant. He doesn't know much about cars, but he's smart and he can learn quick. Yeah, he's a hard worker. 9:00?" He turned to look at Puck. Puck nodded. "Yes, he'll be there a 9:00. Thanks, Cassius."

"Oh my God!" Puck said in shock. "I can't believe you just got me a job. I treated you like crap and you got me a job."

"Puck, you're not that guy anymore. You care. You care about yourself. You care about your sister. You care about other people."

"You're right. I'm not that guy, but I'm not used to people seeing that. You rock, dude!"

"Don't call me 'dude'."

Puck just laughed.

Kurt said, "One word of business advice. Lose the hawk. It's not professional looking and it gives the wrong impression. If you want people to take you more seriously, you're probably going to have to give up a little bit of the bad boy persona. What size shoes do you wear?"

"12."

"Follow me." Kurt kept talking on the way up to the back door, then went silent when they went inside, but Puck kept following. He led Puck to his room. "Wait here." Puck sat in the chair in the corner of his room.

Kurt came back with three pairs of shoes. "Try these on." He did. "Just pick the ones that fit the best and give me the other two back." Kurt took the other two pairs, left and came right back.

"My dad never wears any of those pairs. At least they'll get some use now." Kurt turned to his closet. "Remember my butch phase?" Puck laughed and nodded. "Well, I hadn't done anything with those clothes and when I cleaned my closet out I found them. There were some henleys that I thought you might wear, so I kept them back." Kurt handed him a small stack of shirts.

"Back to what I was saying. Wear shirts with sleeves to work and shave off the mohawk. Buy a couple of button-down short-sleeved shirts and a couple of pairs of slacks from Goodwill. On Sundays, the color of the week clothing is $.99. You don't have to love the outfits, but pick something you can at least tolerate and that fits well. Then when you go to these appointments, wear a button up, slacks, and those shoes I just gave you. You'll look like the kind of guy that can take care of his sister."

"You're right. I need to look the part to get the part. Thanks for the make over tips."

"Who'd have thought, huh?"

Puck just laughed again. Kurt turned back to his closet and pulled out a bag he had from a shopping trip. "Here, put those in here and then you can go out and put them in your truck without people noticing that you're carrying around clothes."

"Thanks again, Kurt. I'll be there tomorrow morning in jeans without holes and a decent shirt. I'll go hit Goodwill's $.99 cent rack on the way home and shave the hawk when I get home."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Puck rejoined the party to find karaoke going strong in the family room downstairs. Just a few minutes later, Carole came in and said that the party games were about to begin and that everyone needed to come outside.

Once they were out there, they laughed. Burt and Carole had set up what amounted to kiddie games in the back yard. There was "Stick the Tassel on the Graduation Cap", a graduation robe piñata, a cake walk, a ping pong ball tossing game, a jelly bean in a jar guessing game and some others.

"Okay, guys. There are real prizes, so you have to actually try if you want to win one. We'll start with the "Stick the Tassel On" game."

Everyone got a different colored tassel. They were blindfolded and turned in circles. Mercedes came the closest.

"And Mercedes is our winner." Carole handed her a card.

"A $10 Amazon card, cool! Thanks, Mrs. H." Carole smiled.

"Next up," Burt said, "is the ping pong ball toss. Let's see how many you can get into the cups.

"And our winner is - Puck!"

Puck opened his card, "iTunes, sweet. Thanks!"

They went through the rest of the games, with the piñata last. Sam managed to pop the piñata. The candy was scooped up quickly.

"So, who's ready for dessert?" Carole called out.

Everyone headed inside. "There's vanilla and chocolate ice cream in the kitchen in the freezer, if anyone wants any."

Burt spoke up, "I want to congratulate all of you on winning Nationals this year and congratulate the seniors who graduated yesterday. You all have worked hard and you did it. Congratulations!" Everyone clapped and cheered for themselves.

"I think Finn has rented some movies if anyone wants to go downstairs and watch one. Anyone who wants to help clean up is welcome to stay up here and help," Carole added.

A few people stuck around upstairs, some had to leave and some went down to watch a movie. Kurt sought out Rachel and went to her.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Rachel, will you come with me, please?"

"Yes," she said somewhat reluctantly.

Kurt led Rachel up to his bedroom and partially closed the door. He had a gift in his hand.

"Sit, please."

She sat, crossing her ankles primly, looking quite put out, but attempting to maintain her poise.

"I have a gift for you." He handed her the wrapped present.

She reached out for it and opened it. Her eyes flashed wide and an indignant look rose to the surface.

"Kurt, that is just the meanest thing ever. A book called _Stuck_? Now, you're making fun of me after Madame Tibideaux ruined my life. I was fantastic at Nationals. We won."

"Rachel. Stop talking and listen for once. Your life isn't ruined. You are 17 years old. Madame Tibideaux herself auditioned more than once to get into the college of her dreams. You can audition again for NYADA or you can choose a new school and audition."

"I was fantastic at Nationals. I should have gotten in." Clearly she wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying.

"Rachel. You are still not listening. I want you to pay attention."

"I AM listening."

"I know you think that you were more qualified that I am. You think that your club memberships, that your voice lessons, and your dance lessons made you more qualified than me. There are so many things that you did not take into account. What did you write your essay about?"

"How Barbra's works influenced my life," she said quite impressed with herself.

"I wrote about how growing up as the only out student in my community affected my life. About what I did to overcome. I wrote about how transferring to Dalton changed my life in ways I didn't expect. I came into contact with people with real drive and ambition there. And they had the means to achieve those goals, but for me to be successful, I'd have to work harder because I didn't have access to all of the resources they did. I wrote about how even after I had to leave due to the financial strain on my family that I didn't allow what I had learned there to go to waste."

"What do you mean?"

"While I was a student there, I had access to vocal lessons for the first time in my life. I took advantage of that. Before I left, I made arrangements to continue the lessons. I had to pay, but the teacher charged me half of the normal cost. I took AP classes at Dalton junior year. I saved up money over the summer last year to purchase the books I would need to continue with the AP classes and the exams. I learned all of the material on my own this year. When I missed school those days the week before and after Nationals, I was taking five AP exams."

"I had no idea."

"That's because I have drive and ambition, but I am not broadcasting my private life to the world. I didn't do these things because I think I am better than everyone else. I wasn't trying to prove something to anyone but myself. I want out of Lima."

Kurt paused to refocus.

"While you were attending after-school clubs, I was working in my dad's shop. I was studying on my own for hours, plus I had to do my regular work for McKinley as well."

"I didn't know."

"I know you didn't Rachel, but you made assumptions. You assumed that I wasn't preparing for college or that what I was doing wasn't as important as what you were doing. You don't really think about other people most of the time."

"Because I'm focusing on me. I'm going to be a star. I need to be a star."

"Rachel, your dads have the money to pay for you to go to college. You have always gotten everything you ever wanted. You have never had to work a day in your life. Your clothes, your phone, your voice lessons, your dance lessons - all of that has been given to you. You took advantage of your opportunities, which was great."

She just sat there looking proud of herself.

"My dad supports me, but not in the same way."

"What do you mean?

"He supports me and my dreams, but his philosophy is that a man has to make himself. I've been working on cars since I was a kid. When I was 14, my dad bought the Navigator. It was from a flood sale - meaning it didn't run and he paid next to nothing for it. At that point, I was working for my dad in the office or at the service counter. I rebuilt the Navigator myself. By 16 I finished the Navigator, I got my mechanic's certification and I started working for my dad in the garage as a mechanic. By 18, I was ASE Certified Master Mechanic. I've been paying for my own stuff since I was 14. My clothes, shoes, phone, dry cleaning bills, car insurance, gasoline, entertainment, everything"

"I didn't know."

"I know you didn't. I didn't go around telling people. I just worked hard and kept it to myself."

"I understand."

"Rachel, you are naturally talented and you honed those skills. I know that you worked hard to make yourself a great performer. But that doesn't mean that you can just have what you want just because you want it."

"I know that."

"You SAY that you know, but you throw temper tantrums every time it doesn't work that way. You act without thinking. That stunt you pulled on Sunshine was really awful. You walked out of Glee so many times. You do things to get ahead that are just wrong. I know about your pact with Blaine last fall."

Rachel looked away sheepishly.

"You already know that you are a talented singer. But you need to find yourself, find YOUR voice. You need to stop imitating your idols. You need to face the fact that other people are just as talented as you are. You need to learn to work together with people and get over the need to control every situation. Most people start at the bottom. Very few people audition in their teens and land a Broadway role."

"I know that. I just want it so badly. It's the only thing I've ever wanted."

"You dream big and that's good. But your attitude that you are already the best is just wrong. Maybe one day you will be the best. But you're too young to be the best already. You know very little about music. I know you can read music, but there's so much more that you can learn. Dance classes in Lima are a good start for a kid. But they aren't going to prepare you for professional parts."

Rachel finally seemed to be listening.

"Do what Madame Tibideaux suggested. Find some place to get some life skills. You've been living in your magical princess land too long. Mr. Schue is to blame as well. He featured you all the time. You demanded it, yes. But he gave in. That was not what you needed. He failed at giving you what you needed. You needed to learn to be part of the team. Tina, Mercedes, Santana, you and I could have sung some really powerful 5-part harmony songs. You needed to learn to listen to those around you and to blend and harmonize. Sometimes a song is about the harmony, the unity of sound that somehow comes from different voices uniting in harmony. It can be so beautiful. But you can't hog the spotlight and create that kind of beauty. It only comes from working together. Solos can be lovely, but group pieces can be breathtaking as well."

He could see Rachel attempting to process what he had said. She looked down at the book. "Why did you give me this book?"

"Because I don't want you to be stuck. You feel like what you deserved was withheld from you. But the truth is - you choked. You messed up. It happens. People mess up. You're human. If I had choked, would you have suggested that I do the things that you did?"

She thought about it. And then slowly shook her head.

"I'm not going to ask you why, but in all honesty I think it's because you actually believe that you deserved to get in more than I did. You think that you deserve a spot there more than anyone. I'm not singling myself out. I could be any other applicant. You honestly felt like you deserved a place there more than anyone else. Confidence is great, Rachel. It really is. But entitlement is not. You did not deserve a place there. And I don't mean that you don't belong there because you lack talent. I mean that DESERVING has nothing to do with it. Schools and employers want to see that potential applicants are hard workers and can be an integral part of a group. That your presence somehow improves the whole group."

"I can see your point of view."

"What would a school or company do with 20 people who don't listen to direction, who all think they know what's best and who are going to do things their way because it's the 'best' way."

"But I DO know what's best when it comes to performing."

"Listen to this: A person hires 20 people to pull a car across a stage - why is not important. These 20 people are supposed to get the car from stage right to stage left by pulling 20 ropes that have been fastened to the front and sides of the car. What happens if the 20 people decide to just walk and pull in any direction they want to?"

"That wouldn't work."

"Of course it wouldn't. That's what would happen in a show when all of the actors and singers think that their vision and interpretation is the correct one. When they all decide to sing the song their way. Would you go see a show like that? Where all the characters just do things however they want?"

"That would be a mess."

"Exactly Rachel. But that's what you did. When you didn't listen at the audition, you showed Madame Tibideaux that you wouldn't listen to a director or instructor. When you stalked her, you showed her that you would throw a fit and be a nuisance instead of a team player. The recommendations in the letter she sent show that she recognizes your talent, but she wants you to grow up before you reapply."

"I just wanted this so bad, Kurt."

"You want your dream, Rachel. You want to sing on Broadway. You want to be a star. You thought NYADA was the fastest way to get you there."

"Yes, because it is the best school. I need to go to the best school to be the best."

""Rachel, there are lots of really good music schools. I tried to convince you to apply to others, but you insisted that NYADA was IT. You put all of your eggs in one basket and then threw a fit when you dropped the basket."

"I felt like my dream was ripped away. Now, I have nothing."

"That's why I gave you that book. You feel stuck, but you're not. This is the first setback you've had that you haven't been able to overcome by badgering someone into changing their mind. If you still want to be on Broadway, you are going to have to do something different. You are no longer a child and your childish ways of tantrum throwing or begging are not going to work anymore. I hope the book helps you find ways to get unstuck."

"Thank you."

"I think your first step might be to move out of Lima. There are just not many opportunities here. It's too small of a pond. You have been the big fish in a little pond for too long. I think a bigger pond would be a good idea. There have to be regional theater options in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, even Akron. Those cities all have over 200,000 people. No, they aren't New York, but you could probably afford to live in one of those cities on an income you could earn on your own."

"That's true."

"You and Finn could get an apartment together in one of those places. He could get a job too. You could try out living together. See if you can find a mutual dream. You don't have to get married to be together right now. You're 17. Your parents have to sign for you to get married. You're really young. Give yourself some time to grow up. But be sure to choose a place that you can afford on your own in case it doesn't work out with Finn. Maybe he's part of your future. Maybe as you both grow up, you'll find a mutual dream. Maybe your dream will change. Maybe his dream will align with your current dream. But right now, he's like the opposite of you. He's free floating, with no plan. Your plan was too specific. I'm not sure that getting married is the solution for either of those."

"But if lose Finn too..."

"Think about when you came over before Nationals. Finn's room was a wreck. He hadn't done his laundry or anything to get ready to go. Carole reminded him to do those things more than once. I heard her myself. He can't cook. He doesn't do much of anything around here other than dishes. He's never held down a job long term. He's immature. That doesn't make him a bad person. But are you willing to step into that role? Do you want to be the one asking, 'Did you pay the water bill?' And nagging him to get out of bed because he's going to be late to work?"

"Not really. It drives me nuts."

"I know it does. I heard your reaction to his room. He needs to grow up and you need to grow up. In completely different ways, but still."

"I need to think about a lot of things."

Kurt smiled at her. "You can succeed, but you need to refocus. Become the best you. Not the best imitation of someone else. When you're 40 years old do you want little girls to be saying, 'Oh, I want to be a star like Rachel Berry?'"

She laughed.

"That won't happen if you keep imitating people who have already achieved their dreams. Don't imitate their voices and mannerisms. Imitate how they worked to achieve their dreams. Work hard. Find your place. Don't alienate people by demanding to be given what you want. Work for what you want. Make people WANT to work with you."

"I see your point."

"If you met yourself, would you want to work with you? Would you want to be your director or vocal coach?"

"Well, I would want to work with someone with my level of talent."

"That's not what I asked though, is it? Would you want to work with someone with your attitude?"

"Not really."

"Then there's your goal. Be the person you'd want to hire or admit to your school, not just in talent, but in personality, drive, work ethic, kindness, and so on."

"Are you going to be around this summer?"

"Actually, I'm leaving in a few hours and I'll be gone for three weeks. Then I'll be back for a couple of weeks before I leave for school."

"Where are you going?" Stopping to consider what he had said, "Wait. You're leaving for school in July?"

"Yes. I've already got a job lined up and I'm set to start in July."

"What are you going to do?"

"Be a mechanic. That's what I am. That's what I can do to make the money I need to afford my expenses."

"I see."

Kurt stood and moved toward the door. "Well, Rachel, I hope the book gives you some uplifting ideas on how to refocus and get unstuck. I have some stuff to do before I leave."

She stood up and said, "I'm going to hug you." And she did.

"You can do this, Rachel."

"Thanks, Kurt." She picked up the book and followed him down the stairs.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt found Carole in the kitchen. "Thank you so much for planning those games. It was a huge relief to not have to have people asking me questions or having to listen to Rachel complain. You are my party hero."

"Everyone likes kiddie games. I knew they would have fun even if they didn't think they would. I figured the added incentive of a prize would catch the competitive ones' attention, even if they thought the games were lame."

"Well, it worked."

"I'm glad it was fun. How soon until you and Sam leave?"

"About a half hour, although I might just go ahead and leave early. We can always stop somewhere nearby the airport and wait a bit if we get there too early."

"Well, then let me dry my hands and give you a hug before you go. I'll miss you guys."

"I'll miss you too."

Kurt walked up to Sam's room.

"Are you ready?"

"Yep. Everything's in the Nav."

"I'm going to take one more look around my room and grab my satchel. I'll meet you down in the truck in a few minutes." Kurt went and looked around and didn't see anything that he had left behind.

He stopped by his dad's room and gave him a hug. "Be good, kiddo. Have fun. I'm sure you'll have a great time."

"I will. Bye, Dad."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt got in the driver's seat, pulled out, and headed toward the highway to go to the airport. "Were you able to tell people that you wouldn't be back in the fall?"

"Yeah, I got Artie, Tina, Blaine, Joe and Sugar together and told them. None of them seemed too upset by it, but I didn't want to just disappear again."

"I talked to Rachel. I think she listened. I guess we'll see by the time we get back. She will have had time to think about what we talked about."

"I hope so. She really is talented."

"She is."

"I saw you talking to Puck."

"He's going to take my place at the shop. He's going in to see Cassius tomorrow morning. I wanted to see how serious he was before I did anything. He went to that appointment with that guy. He set up some testing and got an appointment with a lawyer."

"Wow."

"I know. I could tell he means business this time. He's done horsing around. He didn't even balk when I gave him fashion advice, including shaving his mohawk."

"He's really serious."

"It seems that way. I guess we'll see when we get back if he's still at the shop."

"So, it's all finally starting to feel real to me."

"Me too."

They just rode in silence for a while.

"Grab my phone and hand it to me at the next light."

"Here."

Kurt opened his Ikea app. "Take a look at this stuff. This is what I've been playing around with."

"Nice stuff. Not sure how we could afford it."

"I know. It's like looking through _Vogue_. It's just for fun. I'm going to see if we can at least paint the walls."

"What color were you thinking?"

"Maybe yellow in the kitchen, dining and living room area. I don't know for the bedroom. I was thinking pale green since green's your favorite color."

"Yellow's nice. I do like green, but I like most colors."

They spent the rest of their time talking about the different things they wanted to do once they moved. Day trips, things close by, and even maybe weekends with Thad, Sebastian, Nick, and Jeff since they'd all be fairly close together.

Once they arrived at the airport, Kurt pulled over at the drop off area. Sam got out and grabbed Kurt's luggage from the backseat. While Sam was holding Kurt's suitcase, Kurt grabbed Sam's aviator sunglasses and put them on himself and said in a gravelly voice, "I'll be back."

Sam laughed at him and sat the suitcase down and snatched his sunglasses back and said, "You'd better be." and pulled him into a hug.

Kurt grabbed his suitcase, went inside, checked in, went through security, and waited to board the plane.


	11. Chapter 11

Nearly nine hours in an airplane seat could have been a really long time, but fortunately for Kurt, he managed to fall asleep, so it passed quickly. He had a 10-hour playlist set up on his old iPod and listened to it through the whole flight. When he landed, it seemed that he had arrived in a country all of its own. The airport itself appeared to be four times as big as Lima. He finally made it to the baggage claim area and headed for Customs. He accessed the Wi-Fi and sent Sebastian a message via Messenger letting him know that he was waiting to go through Customs and that he needed to know where Sebastian was. He told Kurt to look on a map and go to Brioche Dorée. Eventually, Kurt made it through and found Sebastian.

"Oh, my God. This place is a metropolis. I think there are more stores and restaurants in this one part of the airport than there are in all of Lima."

Sebastian just laughed at him. "Come on, Alice. Wonderland awaits, but first we're going to the restroom."

Sebastian took Kurt into the handicap stall. He spoke in a quiet whisper. "Take your wallet out of your satchel. Put your ID, Passport and money in this," handing Kurt a travel pouch. "Slip the wallet itself and anything else you have in your satchel that's worth protecting into your suitcase. Now, look how I'm wearing mine. Undo your belt, slip the loop over the belt, then tuck the zippered part into your pants." Kurt followed Sebastian's instructions and once he was done, they left the stall.

"The bus is this way." Sebastian grabbed the handle of Kurt's suitcase and pulled it, while Kurt walked alongside him.

They made it out of the airport and to the bus station. Sebastian told Kurt that he needed to get his photo taken in the kiosk to get his Navigo Découverte pass. They got in line with the photos and Sebastian handed them to the agent who put one of the photos on Kurt's new card and handed both parts of the pass to Kurt. Sebastian told him to put the part with the photo into his travel wallet and keep the other part out so they could get on the bus. Then he pulled Kurt into a hug and said, " _Welcome to Paris._ "

They waited for the next bus headed into downtown Paris. " _How was your flight?_ "

" _It was surprisingly quiet. No babies screaming the whole time or anything. I listened to my iPod the whole time so that probably helped block out a lot of the noise. I slept quite a bit._ "

" _That's good. I'm going to take you home first so you can shower or change or whatever you want to do, then we're going to eat lunch at a place nearby._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The bus ride took about 30 minutes and then they switched to the Metro. When they came out of the Metro, Sebastian said, " _I only live a few blocks from here._ "

They went into 3-story limestone building with small balconies with wrought iron railings on the upper floors. The door to the building was wrought iron and wood. As they stepped into the small lobby, they faced another set of doors that were locked. Sebastian opened the interior doors and there was a short hallway that led to an elevator. They got in the elevator and took it up to the 2nd floor. Sebastian directed him to the door of his apartment.

Inside was lovely. It had wood floors and beautiful ceiling relief work. " _The kitchen's over here. The living room and dining room you can see. Down that hall is the bathroom and the bedrooms. I probably should have said something ahead of time. We have just two bedrooms, so you'll have to share with me._ "

" _That's fine. Show me where I should put my stuff and I'll get it out of the way._ "

Sebastian led Kurt to his bedroom, which was slightly larger than Kurt's bedroom at home. There was a nice sized closet that had room for Kurt to hang his clothes and some empty hangers waiting for him. " _You look different. You got a haircut and I like that outfit. Much improved over your Midwest 'chic' look you had in Ohio._ "

Sebastian laughed. " _Yeah, my mom saw my wardrobe and got rid of most of what I brought back with me. I didn't take much with me when I left and my fashionable clothes have been here waiting for me all year. Plus, some new pieces were added this past week. She didn't toss out my souvenir t-shirts though. I wouldn't let her._ "

Sebastian was wearing slim cut, artfully faded jeans with a dark red printed Yves Saint Laurent button-up shirt and a pair of boots that looked great, but he didn't recognize.

" _I like those boots._ "

" _They're Palladiums. Fashionable and very comfortable. I know you love your Docs, but these are so much lighter. Maybe we'll go look at some before we head out later._ "

" _Offering to take me shopping so soon?_ " Kurt asked teasingly. Kurt hung his clothes up and started nosing through Sebastian's clothes. " _You know, you're not that much taller than me. I'm certain that I could tailor this shirt to fit me,_ " he laughed pulling out a Givenchy shirt that he really liked.

" _I'm sure you could, but I happen to like that shirt. It's not up for grabs_ ," he smirked as he put it back where it was hanging. " _Do you want to shower and change before we go out?_ "

" _Definitely, if you don't mind._ "

" _The bathroom is across the hall. Clean towels are under the sink in the basket. Be sure to wear shoes that are good for walking._ "

Sebastian sat in the living room and read while Kurt got ready. Kurt was wearing dark wash skinny jeans, a white button up, a dark gray vest and his white 1460 Doc Marten boots. " _You look great. Let's go._ " Kurt blushed.

Kurt changed the subject quickly. " _I really need to let Carole know that I arrived safely. Can I use your phone or can we stop somewhere and get my phone set up to use here?_ "

Sebastian handed Kurt his phone. " _Hey, Carole. I'm here at Sebastian's. Yes. I'm fine. We're getting ready to go eat lunch. I'll message you later. Bye!_ "

Kurt looked out the window. " _Amazing. It's just amazing here,_ " he said with a huge smile on his face. " _Have you lived here since you were six?_ "

" _Yep, this is where I grew up._ "

" _No wonder you hated Ohio._ "

" _I'm sure I could have made it more interesting than I did. Westerville's nowhere nearly as bad as Lima. But it took me too long to come around. I'm just glad I finally got my act together._ "

He nudged Sebastian and said, " _Me too._ "

" _Come on, I've been waiting for you to get here forever it seems. Let's go._ "

" _You're ask excited as I am, I think._ " Kurt grabbed his satchel on the way out the door.

" _Possibly._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They went outside and turned to the right and walked down to the corner. Sebastian watched the traffic and started to step into the street. Kurt hesitated. Sebastian grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "He who hesitates becomes a pancake," he laughed. He let go of Kurt's hand once they were across all the lanes of traffic and were safe on the sidewalk. "The rules of crossing the street are simple. There's just one. Don't die."

"That's reassuring," Kurt deadpanned.

"Perhaps not, but it's true. Think Frogger with no extra lives. You'll catch on."

They had to cross the street again to get to where Sebastian was taking him to lunch. When Sebastian got near the street to cross, Kurt just grabbed his hand again. "I'm not taking any chances," and laughed.

Another half-block and they were at their destination, a small brasserie that served a variety of French food. They waited for a few minutes because Sebastian wanted an outdoor table. After they sat down and looked at the menu, Kurt said, " _I have no idea what any of this is. How about you just order for me?_ "

" _I can do that._ " The waitress came and Sebastian ordered for both of them. " _I ordered two completely different dishes. If you don't like yours, we can switch._ "

" _I'm sure it will be fine. You know I"m not really picky. I like trying new things._ " He looked around the area and just watched the people for a few minutes. " _So, what have you been up to?_ "

" _Well, I've been planning the things we're going to do. I went to visit my grandparents. I went to work with my mom one day. Thus, the makeover and the new clothes._ "

" _Well, the haircut and the clothes suit you._ "

" _Thanks._ "

" _So, what have you planned?_ "

" _Well, as weird as it sounds, I bought a Paris travel guide book. I've lived here most of my life, but I've never played tour guide before. So, in this book, there's a section that has 90-minute walking tours of eight areas of the city. I thought we'd do the first one after we eat. It actually starts right by where I live. The park we walked past is Parc Monceau. The walking tour starts there. When we're done, we'll go back home and I'll show you the book._ "

Kurt opened his satchel and pulled out a book, showing it to Sebastian, he said, " _I think we have been reading the same book._ "

" _So we have,_ " he laughed. " _So, what you do think? We can go on some of those 90-minute walking tours this week and then go to any of the places in the area that were on your list of must-see places._ "

" _Sounds like a plan._ "

The waitress brought their food out. Kurt tasted his, " _Oh, this is really good. Would you mind if I taste yours too, just a bite? Here, you can put it on the edge of my plate,_ " he said sliding his plate closer to Sebastian's. Sebastian put a little of his onto Kurt's plate. " _Yours is good too._ " They continued talking while they ate.

" _This afternoon when we get back from walking around this neighborhood, we can make a list of the places you want to see. And you mentioned going to a phone store. We're going to leave around 5:00 from the Metro station over there to Cherenton-le-Pont to visit your grandparents. They live just a few blocks from the Metro station. I can either leave you there to have dinner and spend the evening with them or I can stay. I can just go to a coffee shop and read until you're ready to leave. You won't have to make your way back alone either way._ "

" _I'm sure they'll want to meet you. You're the REASON I'm getting to meet them in person. Please stay._ "

" _Alright._ " Sebastian pulled out his phone and sent a text. " _I just reminded my mom that we won't be home this evening._ "

" _So, besides reading that travel guide book, what else have you been doing?_ "

" _Well, I've debated calling up some of my old friends, but I haven't really gotten up the nerve to do it. They're in school still during the daytime anyway and it's crunch time for them academically since school ends in a month. They'll be working on final projects, taking exams and writing papers._ "

" _You've never told me what happened to make you leave France so quickly._ "

" _It's not a pleasant story._ "

" _You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I understand. Some things are just private and I understand that._ "

" _Well, it's definitely too private to tell you sitting out in public._ "

They finished up their meal. The waitress brought out their check. Kurt reached for the check and managed to grab it before Sebastian. He pulled enough cash from his wallet to cover the bill and a tip and handed them to the waitress.

Sebastian looked at him a bit perplexed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They got up and started walking back toward Sebastian's place.

" _Birthday gift. My dad got some Euros for me before I left. You can't pay for me all the time. I'll feel like.._." he paused not quite knowing how to explain how it felt for a guy to pay for him all the time. " _It feels emasculating. Like all the times I've been told that I'm not manly enough. I know you don't think that. It's just this knee jerk reaction sometimes. I don't need or want chairs pulled out for me or my car door opened or all those things that society says that men should do for women. I'm not a woman. I may not be able to afford everything that you can, but I can afford to treat you to meals sometimes too._ "

" _I get it. You've been put in the girl's role of dating and friendship. Guys don't joke around with you. They treat you like they treat their friends that are girls. They act like you can't take care of yourself because you chose not to physically retaliate against the bullying. But sometimes, you have to let me treat too. This whole trip was my idea and I may choose activities that are out of your budget range for this trip. And I promise not to treat you like a girl, ever._ "

" _That seems reasonable. And thank you. That will make you the second guy ever in my life who doesn't treat me like a girl._ "

" _Sam, right?_ "

" _Yep. Saturday morning, we accidentally woke Dad up chasing each other around my room beating each other senseless with the pillows from my bed,_ " Kurt laughed.

" _I bet that was fun._ "

" _It was._ "

They passed the apartment building and kept going. Sebastian flashed back to something Kurt had said before. " _Remember when I asked you to come spend the weekend at my house the first time?_ "

" _Yes._ "

" _You said something about not spending time with guys, but then recanted like something had changed and it would be okay. What was that about?_ "

" _Well, it was twofold. The first reason you are already aware of._ " Sebastian nodded once he thought about it - Blaine. " _But the second part was my dad. You noticed I said you'd be the second to treat me like a guy and since Sam is the first, that should tell you something about how my dad has always treated me. He's on the fence. He taught me how to work on cars and treated me as an equal to the other guys that worked in the shop. But when it came to dating and friendships, he always saw me as a girl. I always figured it was because I didn't like sports and 'manly' activities and I liked things that he considered to be feminine. He let me have as many girls sleep over as I wanted and I was always allowed to attend girls' sleepovers at their houses as well._ "

" _I see._ "

" _So, even before he had eased up on the 'No-spending-time-alone-with-boys' philosophy, well, you know what was going on then. Control by another force._ "

Sebastian just nodded.

By this time, they had made it to the park and were walking down a path with no one else around. Sebastian started to speak again and this time in English. "When I started dating Jacques, most of our friends were mutual friends. There was a group of about ten of us, who were 2nd and 3rd years - meaning juniors and seniors - that all hung out together, but we also did things in smaller groups depending on what the activity was. Once Jacques and I moved from friends to boyfriends, he got more and more possessive. He got to the point where I couldn't do anything with anyone in our group of friends unless he came along too, which was fine a lot of the time, but it did annoy some of the people in the group, but not to the point of calling him out on it, at least not in front of me. It bothered me a lot because I felt like I had to get his permission, but at the same time, I just let it slide because I didn't want to give him a reason to be mad at me. It was just how things were and I accepted it."

"I've been there too many times. Accepting things that I shouldn't have."

Sebastian nodded and continued. "The reason I got sent away to my dad's has to do with something that happened at the graduation party that all of us attended last July," Sebastian fought back tears.

"You don't have to tell me. It's okay."

"Well, the short version is that Jacques ended up in jail and our group of friends ended up divided over the situation. I was shipped off as soon as I was well enough to travel. And I didn't talk to very many of them while I was gone, only a couple of them who contacted my mom asking for my new number."

"Is there a chance of running into him? Or is he still in jail."

"He'll be in jail for a while, another 24 years."

Kurt reached over and held Sebastian's hand. "I'm sorry."

"Some of my friends and some of the other people at the party were given fines in association with the case. And of course, there was the fallout with their own families. No one blamed me exactly, but it just one of those situations without any good outcomes. It broke our group. I don't know if they managed to patch things back together or whether they all just went their separate ways. I guess the only positive side to all of it is that I don't actually remember what happened."

"I guess that's good."

"Yeah."

Sebastian dropped Kurt's hand and wiped his eyes with both hands. They continued to walk in silence, just enjoying the scenery and the interesting statues and strange objects like a pyramid and an obelisk. They exited the park heading toward Rue de Courcelles passing two amazing mansions and Sebastian pointed down Avenue Hoche, " _Look in the distance. You can see the Arc de Triomphe._ " Walking a bit farther, they encountered a 5-story Chinese pagoda.

" _Amazing architecture. It's just amazing being here. It's like a dream._ "

The continued on their walk with Sebastian making comments about growing up in the area and pointing out houses and buildings. They turned down a different street which looked totally different from the area they had been walking in. " _It's sort of surreal here. One minute there's mansions and then there's a street that looks like a typical big city like New York._ " They walked a few more blocks and came to the back of a huge church.

" _I know you aren't religious, but do you want to go inside? This is St. Augustine. It was built in the 1860s._ "

" _Of course. I don't have to believe in anything to see the beauty in the building. Let's go inside._ "

Kurt was stunned. He had never been inside anywhere so breathtaking. The stained glass windows, the dome, the everything. He was just speechless. Just imagining the effort and craftsmanship required to build such a building with no modern tools was awe inspiring.

As they exited through the front, Kurt teased Sebastian, " _I bet it was a lot more important to know geometry and trigonometry back before computer aided design was around._ "

" _Yeah, yeah,_ " he laughed remembering his comment about Trigonometry. " _But I'm not going to be an architect for Napoleon III._ "

" _True, true._ "

" _Well, this is the end of the walking tour of this area, but just a few streets over is a store that sells these boots and an Apple store to help you with your phone. Let's head that way._ "

Kurt continued the new method of making sure he followed the rule of "Don't die." by holding Sebastian's hand as he maneuvered them through the traffic while crossing streets. " _How are the hospitals not full of people that have been run over by cars?_ "

" _You'll get the hang of it,_ " he teased.

They walked into the shoe store and browsed. Kurt looked for something basic that would go with a lot of things, but would be really functional and fashionable too. Showing Sebastian he said, " _I think I'll try these._ " He picked up a pair of soft black leather boots with gum eraser colored soles. " _The sign says they're waterproof and I can see that they have a gusseted tongue. That should make them good for rainy days. I don't have any boots this style that are good for rain. My rain boots are Wellies._ "

" _Let's get someone to bring out your size. What size do you wear?_ "

" _11._ "

" _Well, ask for a 44 and a 45. You can see which one fits better._ "

Kurt found an employee and asked for what he needed. She brought out both pairs and he tried them on. " _Well, the 45 is definitely what I need. These 44s are too short." He put on the larger pair of boots and walked around in the store and looked in the mirror. "You're right. These are a lot lighter than my Docs. And they're comfortable. I'll take them. I think I'll just wear them._ "

He put his Docs in the box and moved to the cashier. " _I don't have enough cash for these and we didn't go to a bank yet. Can I use my debit card?_ "

" _Let me see it_." Kurt slipped it out of the wallet pouch.

" _Probably not. It doesn't have a chip in it. Here, I'll pay for them and you can pay me back._ " Sebastian took the box from Kurt's hands and handed it to the sales clerk and paid. He handed the bag to Kurt and they left the store.

" _Thanks. Let's add a stop at a bank to the to-do list before we head back to your place._ "

" _That's fine. Let's head to the Apple store first to get your phone working here._ " A few blocks later, they were there. Kurt got a number and they just browsed until his number was called. A few minutes later, everything was set up and good to go. " _So, to the bank?_ " Kurt nodded.

After a consultation with the bank teller and some inquiries, Kurt made a cash withdrawal. As they left the bank, Kurt said, "I'm not comfortable carrying around a lot of cash. I wish I had one of those chip cards like you do. Obviously rural Ohio is behind the times in banking as well."

"You know what, just don't worry about it. If you see something you want to buy, I'll just pay for it and we can go to the bank every few days and you can withdraw the cash and I'll deposit it in my account. That way you don't have to feel like mugger bait while we're out walking around."

"Mugger bait," Kurt laughed. "That's exactly how I feel. Thanks for the offer. I'll probably take you up on that. I'll be less tense that way."

"No problem. Let's go get on the Metro and head back home."

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Kurt went to the bedroom and put his Docs in the closet and brought the box and bag back out. Sebastian got a notepad and a pen out and handed it to Kurt and took the box and bag from him and placed it by the trash. They sat down at the dining room table and Kurt got out his travel guide book and opened it and started to make a list of his must-see destinations. Sebastian went in the kitchen while Kurt was working and returned to the table with some cut up fruit, cheese slices, sliced baguettes, and two glasses of water.

" _Oh, thanks. That looks good._ " They both snacked and talked about Kurt's list.

Sebastian watched as Kurt added places to his list. _"I'll look through your list later and group the places by location so we can plan a way to see as many as possible without crisscrossing all over the city to do it._ "

" _Thanks._ "

" _We need to get going soon. Is there anything you need to do before we leave?_ "

" _Um. Actually, yes. Just a minute._ " Kurt went into the bedroom and picked up an envelope that he had laid on Sebastian's desk when he emptied his suitcase earlier. He came back out and said, " _Ready._ "

" _Just to let you know, it's going to take about 45 minutes to get to the Metro station near your grandparents. We have to take three different lines and theirs is the last stop. We'll walk from there._ "

They spent the first part of their travel time talking about the things Kurt had on his list. Kurt tried to tamp down his enthusiasm mixed with anxiety over meeting his grandparents. He wanted to make a good impression, but he didn't want to appear to be stiff or distant. He wished he knew more about how to behave French. But he eventually relaxed and knew that they would accept him. They knew him. It would be okay.

Sebastian just gave him time to think and didn't interrupt his thoughts. He felt Kurt's head on his shoulder and he looked over. Kurt had fallen asleep. Eventually they reached the last Metro stop and had to get off. He nudged Kurt gently. " _This is our stop. Hop up._ "

Kurt opened his eyes. " _Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you._ " He stood and got off and followed Sebastian outside.

" _It's fine. I know you said you slept on the plane, but I'm sure you didn't sleep enough._ " Sebastian pointed, " _They live that way_."

They walked for about ten minutes and Kurt recognized it from the photos he had seen. They walked up to the door and knocked. Kurt's grandma, Amélie, opened the door and let Kurt and Sebastian inside. She was about 5'5" with straight white hair, cut in a bob. She had blue eyes and pale skin like Kurt.

She stepped toward Kurt and pulled him into a hug. Fighting tears, she said, " _I'm so glad you are here_."

He didn't manage to keep his tears in check either, " _Me too, Grandma._ "

She let him go and pulled Sebastian into a hug and said, " _Thank you for bringing him here._ "

" _My pleasure._ "

" _Come in, come in. Please sit down._ " Kurt's grandpa, Lucien, came into the room and fussed a bit about the three of them just standing there. Sebastian and Kurt moved to sit as they had been told.

Lucien was about 5'8", with short straight gray hair, that had been medium brown. He had gray eyes and fair skin, but not as light as Kurt's. At one time, he had been slim, but had since put on a little extra weight around the middle.

Kurt opened his bag and took out the envelope that he had brought with him. He opened the envelope and took out several photos of him and his mother from when he was younger, some other shots of him over the years, some from different Glee performances, and a couple from graduation. " _I brought these with me for you to keep. I know I've sent photos over the years, but I thought you might like some more._ "

" _These costumes are fantastic. Did you make these?_ " Amélie asked.

" _Most of them. Some of them were just alterations from pieces I bought._ "

" _How did you and Sebastian meet?_ " she asked.

" _He came to Ohio last fall and he attended Dalton, the school I went to last year. And he was in the Warblers._ "

Amélie smiled. " _So you sing too?_ "

Sebastian nodded and thought about how Kurt managed to pull off avoiding all of the details, which he was grateful for. " _Being in competing choirs we weren't friendly at first. I later learned that we had the same vocal teacher and eventually we realized that we had more in common than we had originally thought and became fast friends after that,_ " Sebastian added.

Kurt found Sebastian's addition to the answer interesting and accurate.

" _I found out something interesting as well when I was talking to Sebastian's mother to arrange some things. I knew Lisette's mother when we were young. We went to primary school together before my family moved to this area when I was 12. Life can be so strange and surprising some times._ "

" _That's so true,_ " Lucien added.

" _Well, let's not sit here and let dinner dry out. Let's move to the kitchen and eat,_ " Amélie said.

Kurt and Sebastian followed Lucien and Amélie to the kitchen. They sat down and Amélie had already set the table with the first course. She had made a tapanade, a raw vegetable tray, and fresh sliced bread. Kurt had studied French culture, but he was still somewhat unsure what to do so he watched everyone else and follow their lead. The conversation started back up again about the boys' plans for the fall. They each answered questions about the schools they had chosen and what they hoped to learn.

Sebastian learned that Amélie had been a maternity nurse and that Lucien had been an art instructor before they retired. During their conversation, Amélie served the other courses of the meal, coq au vin, salad, a cheese plate, and the final course of dessert, which Kurt was very thankful was a light chocolate mousse. He was far too full to eat anything heavy by that point in the meal.

Kurt and Sebastian offered to help clean up after the meal, but their offer was declined. " _The dishes can be washed any time,_ " they were told. They all moved back to the living room.

" _Lisette has arranged for Sebastian to drive you back tomorrow after lunch to go to an appointment that I set up at the Préfecture here in Cherenton-le-Pont,_ " Amélie told Kurt.

" _Why do I need to go there, Grandma?_ "

" _There are some things that need to be taken care of now that you are here. We need to get your French citizenship papers processed._ "

" _French citizenship?_ "

" _You are a French citizen, Kurt. I want you to get your paperwork in order so that you can come back here and visit for any length of time or live here if you choose to at some point in the future. Lisette said that you were bringing all of the documents that we would need with you. You'll need to bring those tomorrow._ "

Kurt was surprised by all of this. He had never given any consideration to the fact that he was anything but American.

" _You look surprised by this_ " she said.

" _Well, that's true, but it's just because I never thought about it. I guess I am as French as Sebastian. We both have French mothers and American fathers._ "

" _You told me that your dad gave you something that your mother had left as a graduation gift for you. I have no knowledge of what is in that envelope. Did you open it?_ "

" _No, I figured I would wait until I was here._ "

" _Well, Lisette has set up an appointment with a financial advisor at some point in time so that someone with more knowledge than any of us can help you with whatever is in the envelope._ "

" _I'll thank her for that. We haven't actually met yet. Sebastian and I left to come here before she came home from work this afternoon._ "

" _She is very sweet and has been very helpful,_ " Amélie added. Sebastian smiled when she said that about his mother. He was so glad to be back with his mom, whom he loved dearly, and who truly was a very sweet person.

They spent the rest of the evening talking about the fun trips that Kurt and Sebastian had taken before they left Ohio, the places they had been that afternoon and the places that Kurt was hoping to see. Amélie and Lucien brought up some places as well, places with personal meaning to their family. They decided that tomorrow after the meeting would be a good time to see those places since Sebastian would have a car. By the time that Sebastian and Kurt needed to leave, they had a plan set for the next day.

Amélie hugged both of them before they left. " _Until tomorrow,_ " she said as the headed for the Metro.

" _Good night, Grandma and Grandpa._ " He hugged them both before leaving.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt was overwhelmed by the evening. It was what he had always hoped for, but didn't know if he would ever get. He and Sebastian walked to the Metro in silence and waited for it to arrive.

By the time they got back to Sebastian's place it was quite late. Lisette was waiting up for them, reading in the living room. She greeted them as they came in the door.

" _You're back. I hope you had a good evening._ "

" _It was fantastic. Thank you so much for having me here._ "

" _We haven't officially met. I'm Lisette, and you're entirely welcome._ " She pulled him into a hug and then kissed him on both cheeks. " _I'm glad you're finally here. I've been listening to Sebastian fuss for nearly a week._ "

She was tall, but not as tall as Kurt, with a slim build. She had long wavy medium brown hair with light brown highlights, which was styled half French braided with the bottom half loose. She had the same green eyes that Sebastian had.

Kurt looked at him quizzically. Sebastian shrugged sheepishly. The three of them moved into the living room and sat down.

" _So, tomorrow Sebastian will have the car and you two will be able to go around to wherever you want, but be sure to pick Amélie and Lucien up on time to arrive early for your appointment. Take every document you brought with you, except that sealed envelope, in case you need it. Also, I set up an appointment with a financial advisor at my bank to look at whatever is in the envelope. That's not until a couple of weeks out because I wanted to wait until you had your citizenship papers and ID card in hand for the meeting in case its something you need to have them for._ "

" _Thank you for helping me with all of these things_."

" _Oh, honey, you're welcome. I have no doubt that your mother would have done all of these things, but since she couldn't, I will do whatever I can to help._ "

Kurt smiled and nodded.

" _I see that Sebastian has already taken you shopping. You have French boots,_ " she teased. " _And he fusses about going shopping with me. Now, I know the truth_ ," she laughed. " _You do love shopping._ "

" _Mom. Stop already. I never fuss about going with you_."

" _As long as there's a nice meal involved afterward_ ," she laughed.

" _His wardrobe here is a vast improvement over the backwoods chic he's been wearing around Ohio. I tried to get him to let me have that lovely plum Givenchy shirt in his closet, but he snatched it and put it right back where it was hanging. And he teased me for the way I dressed in Ohio. Pot calling the kettle black._ "

" _I know, dear. He wore just the most awful clothes. But I guess 'when in Rome', as the saying goes._ "

" _No, no, no. Definitely not._ "

Lisette just laughed. " _So, Sebastian, did you tell him my plan for Wednesday yet?_ "

" _No, Mom. Not yet._ "

" _Well, then tell him. It was your idea._ "

" _The general idea was mine. The actual implementation of the idea is all yours._ "

" _Alright then, I'll tell him. On Wednesday, Anna Wintour is going to be in the Paris office to oversee a project's final photo shoot and finalize the layout this week and we need more helping hands. So, I've volunteered you and Sebastian to help._ "

" _Oh, my God!_ " Kurt covered his mouth with his hands trying to cover the excited shriek attempting to escape. " _Yes. A million times, yes. I'll do whatever you want. Slave for a day. That's me._ "

" _Perfect_ ," Lisette said. " _Slaves are perfect. They don't complain like paid employees,_ " she laughed.

" _This is definitely a dream. I'm in a coma somewhere dreaming I am in France, meeting my grandparents and helping Anna Wintour, even if indirectly._ "

" _Nope, no dream. Come on, let's get some sleep._ "

" _Good night. Thank you again so much for having me here,_ " Kurt said as he got up and followed Sebastian.

When they got in his room and Sebastian had shut the door, Kurt nearly jumped him and gave him a huge hug. " _I cannot believe all of this. It's amazing!_ "

Sebastian laughed and said, " _You're welcome._ "

They took turns showering, got ready for the next day and then got in bed.

" _I'm still struggling with this being real. If it's a dream, I don't want to wake up._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next morning, Kurt did wake up, but he found himself in Sebastian's room where he had been when he fell asleep. " _Not a dream,_ " he mumbled.

Sebastian just laughed at him, " _Nope, not a dream. Come on let's go eat breakfast._ "

The two of them worked together and made croques monsieurs for breakfast. They discussed their plans for the day and cleaned up the kitchen after they finished eating.

" _Since we didn't have anything specific planned for this morning, how about you take me out and just drive around and show me some of the places you grew up spending time, like maybe your school, favorite parks - knowing you - your favorite bookstore, stuff like that? I'd like to see the Paris you know and love first. We can play tourist again later._ "

" _We can do that._ "

They both got ready quickly and headed out. Sebastian drove around and took Kurt to see his elementary school, his middle and high school and several places where he had spent a lot of time. He found a place and parked not too far from one of his favorite bookstores. " _You'll like it here._ " Kurt followed him.

They went in Libraire Auguste Blaizot and Kurt's face lit up. " _It's beautiful. Look at all of these books. It's like a museum almost,_ " Kurt said looking around in awe.

" _Sebastian,_ " an older gentleman called out. " _I haven't seen you in ages._ "

Sebastian turned, " _Pierre, it's good to see you too. I spent an unexpected school year in America._ "

" _I see you have brought someone with you? A book lover like yourself?_ "

" _This is my friend, Kurt._ "

Kurt extended his hand to shake hands with Pierre. " _It's a pleasure to meet you. This place is amazing_."

" _Feel free to look around._ "

" _Thank you._ " Kurt walked away to look around while Sebastian stayed to catch up with Pierre. About ten minutes later, Sebastian went back to where Kurt was looking at a beautiful leatherbound book. " _These books are like works of art._ "

" _I told you that you'd like it here. We can come back some time if you want. They have writers come in and sometimes there are different small exhibits of rare books or artwork. Maybe there will be one that interests you. We can pick up a flyer on the way out. I want to take you some place that's too far to walk and not really near anything touristy that's on your list while we have the car today._ "

" _It was good to see you, Pierre. We'll try to come back soon. We have an appointment we need to keep._ " Pierre waved as they left.

Sebastian told Kurt stories of different events and exhibits he had gone to at the bookstore while they were driving to their next destination.

" _Plus de Bruit? Sounds interesting_."

" _It's a music shop. I think you'll like it_."

" _I'm sure I will,_ " he said just based on what he could see through the window. They went inside and Kurt said, " _I have never seen so many records in one place._ "

" _I think that I am going to see the 'Alice in Wonderland' look on your face for the next three weeks,_ " Sebastian teased.

" _I was born in the wrong place. I always knew I was. I never belonged in Lima._ "

" _Well, you dug your way out and now you're on your way to a new life in Hartford. It won't be the metropolis that Paris is, but at least it should be better than Lima._ "

" _God, I hope so._ " They spent about 15 minutes looking around the store.

" _Hey, do you like Brigitte?_ " Kurt nodded. " _Let's get this one and listen to it in the car._ " Sebastian got in line and paid for the CD.

They got back in the car and Kurt loaded the CD. " _We need to head down to your grandparents. I don't want to be late._ " They listened to the CD and Kurt just looked out the window at everything he could take in on the drive.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

When they got near Kurt's grandparents', Sebastian found a parking space in a lot and he and Kurt walked the rest of the way. When they knocked, Amélie motioned for them to come inside. " _I thought it would be quicker to have lunch here rather than to go out. I've made some soup and there's bread and cheese._ "

" _Sounds great,_ " Kurt said.

He and Sebastian went and sat at the table where Lucien was already seated and enjoyed the food that Amélie served them.

" _This is delicious. Thank you._ "

" _You're quite welcome. After we eat, I'd like to show you some places around the area, if that's okay._ "

" _I'd love that._ "

They finished their meal quickly and the four of them headed out. Lucien and Amélie gave Sebastian directions to drive to the hospital where she had worked and the art school where he used to teach. They also showed Kurt where they had lived when his mom lived with them.

" _After Elisabet married your father, we moved to the smaller place where we live now, but this is where she grew up._ " Kurt nodded. He took photos each place that they stopped by. " _After the appointment, we want to take you to her favorite place._ "

They arrived at the appointment ahead of time and Kurt filled out the paperwork that he was given. When his name was called, he went back to an office where he was interviewed and he provided the appropriate documents and answered all of the questions he was asked. His mother had sent in the appropriate paperwork when he was born so the process was going to be quite simple. Since he was over 16 and had everything they asked for, he would be able to get his certificate immediately. After he had the printed certificate, he moved to the area to get his photo taken for his ID card. He gave his cell number to call when it was ready to be picked up.

After Kurt had finally jumped through all of the necessary hoops, he went back out to where everyone was waiting for him.

" _So, did it go okay?_ " Sebastian asked.

Kurt showed them his certificate and told them that they'd have to come back for his ID card when he got a call. " _Once I have the ID card, I'll be able to take it and go to apply for a passport._ "

" _Excellent. If we head out now, we'll still have time to enjoy where I want to take you,_ " Amélie said.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian drove them back towards Kurt's grandparents', dropped them off near the Metro station. Sebastian parked the car in a parking lot nearby and he and Kurt walked back to the Metro. They kept their destination a secret from Kurt on the Metro ride. After about a 30 minute trip, they were at their destination.

" _Your mom used to come here and sketch. She dreamed of one day of creating her own garden._ "

" _She did. We had the most beautiful flower gardens in our yard. When I get home, I'll see if I can find any photos of them and send you copies. I used to help her with them. She loved gardening._ "

" _Growing up in an apartment, all she could ever do was plant flowers in flower boxes for our windowsills and grow indoor plants. I know she loved having a yard of her own where she could design gardens,_ " Amélie said.

" _She also grew vegetables and I used to watch her can her delicious tomato sauce. I still make the sauce, but I've never learned to can._ "

They walked through the gardens for a couple of hours, pausing here and there to rest and just enjoy the views. Amélie and Lucien continued to tell stories about Elisabet's childhood. Kurt had Sebastian take photos of him and his grandparents in the garden where his mom liked to sit and sketch.

After a couple of hours, they headed back to Kurt's grandparents. " _We'll be back out in a few days to collect the ID and we'll come back over then. I'll call you once I hear from the Préfecture,_ " Kurt told his grandparents. Kurt and Sebastian walked back to the parking lot where they had left the car earlier in the day and then headed back to the center of town to pick Lisette up from work.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They ate a simple dinner together and then watched a movie. Sebastian and Kurt headed to their room afterward. " _You can go first again._ "

" _Thanks_."

Sebastian looked through their clothes while Kurt was showering. He put together two outfits for Kurt that he thought would look good and be comfortable enough to work all day in. " _So, how about one of these for tomorrow? Fashionable and functional_."

" _I see that you've been hiding your fashion knowledge from me all this time. Both look good. I'll wear that one. What are you wearing?_ " Sebastian pointed out an outfit hanging at the end of his clothes closest to Kurt's clothes. " _Ooh, I like that. So, what we will be doing?_ "

" _Mostly being go-fers. Getting people whatever they need. Sometimes, it's drinks or even something like a safety pin. But I think you'll have fun, even though it's pretty tedious and nerve wracking sometimes. You'll get to see how a photoshoot works. And you're right. I hid a lot of things when I was in Ohio. And I never felt like myself there. Now, that I'm home, I feel like I can relax._ "

" _I can understand that. The only place in Lima I ever really relaxed was my room. And when we moved after Dad and Carole got married, I sort of lost even that. Up until recently, my dad had an 'open door' policy when it came to having guys in my room, the exceptions were Finn and Sam, and an unlocked door, even if I had it shut. Finn barged in all the time. To him a closed door meant 'Open me and walk right on in.'_ "

" _That's why I'm glad my dad agreed to a single for the fall. I just need a place where I can relax. I wouldn't mind living with someone I was comfortable with. But I'm really glad I don't have to live with a stranger._ "

" _Me too. Sam's great. I'm getting more excited about the fall now that school is over and I'm not in Lima. I never did tell anyone at school, or even Finn, where I'm going. Sam told the four people in New Directions that will be back for the fall that he won't be back at McKinley. He didn't say where he was going. Everyone probably thinks I'm going to New York because Rachel told everyone that I got into NYADA and she didn't. People probably think Sam is going back to Kentucky._ "

Sebastian went and showered. Kurt called Sam while Sebastian showered. He came back and Kurt was in bed and the lights were out, but he wasn't asleep.

" _We should have a party at my apartment after you come back before school starts. You know, you're welcome to come stay with us if you want to come back before you can get into your dorm room._ "

" _Thanks_ ," Sebastian said and he started the Question game that night.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They had to be up early to get to the office in time to help set up for the day. They ate a quick breakfast and headed out with Lisette.

" _So, are you two ready to be my slaves, as Kurt so kindly offered?_ " she teased them.

" _Sure, Mom._ "

" _Yes, ma'am. At your service,_ " Kurt bowed and opened the door for her. He moved quickly to the elevator and made a big show of pressing the button. He held the door back after it opened and said, " _After you, ma'am._ " By the time they got out the building, he and Sebastian were play fighting about who would open the doors. Once they got to the car, Sebastian had Kurt beat because he had keys to the car and opened the back door and held it open for his mother like he was her limo driver. Sebastian got in the driver's seat and Kurt went around and go into the passenger seat frowning.

" _You two are so silly,_ " Lisette said. They both gave her "Who me?" looks.

It didn't take long for them to arrive and for the craziness to begin. They arrived to find the models having their make up done and the lighting on the set being set up. Several of the photos from the first two days had been rejected and were being retaken that morning. And they needed to be done right away. The proofs needed to be ready to view after lunch with the rest that had already been chosen. Kurt and Sebastian were put to work as runners to take the outfits to the models. They spent the whole morning practically running to keep up with everything they were being asked to do. Kurt was having a blast. Sebastian was having more fun watching Kurt than actually enjoying what he was doing.

In the calm of lunch, Sebastian asked Kurt, " _Are you sure music is what you want to study? You really seem to love this_."

" _I'm sure. I do really like fashion, but I don't think I'm good enough to make it in the industry and while being a go-fer is fun for the day, it's not the kind of thing that I'd like to do as a career. If I thought I could succeed as a designer or an artistic director or something, I'd love to do it though._ "

" _You might be better at it than you think you are. You never had anyone who knew anything to help you along. You should let my mom look at your sketches. She'd be better at knowing whether you have any potential than anyone in Lima would._ "

" _You're right. I do have some photos of some of my sketches on my phone. Maybe I'll show her. I'm still going to study music though. But being a musician isn't a sure thing either. Maybe I could do some designing on the side and see if it goes anywhere. That is if she thinks anything I've drawn is any good. What about you and music? You really seemed to enjoy being in the Warblers._ "

" _I'm going to audition to join one of the a cappella groups at Yale._ "

" _I hope you get in._ "

" _Me too. I do love music, and I enjoy performing, but I don't see myself doing it as a career, but I don't want to give it up either._ "

They finished their lunch and Kurt caught a glimpse of Anna as she passed through the area to go view the proofs from the morning's reshoot. Sebastian saw Kurt's eyes get big and the excitement on his face and turned to look behind him to see the cause. He just chuckled. " _The one and only,_ " he said. Kurt just smiled. He knew that he was as close as he was going to get, but it was still exciting.

" _So, what's your mom going to have us do for the afternoon?_ "

" _I'm not sure, let me text her and find out._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

" _So, my part in the crazy is over for the day_ ," Lisette said. " _The three of us are going to work on something quieter. Follow me._ " Kurt and Sebastian followed Lisette past various offices through several corridors. " _Here. This is where we're going to work,_ " she said as she opened the door. They walked in and it was a storage room. " _These are all samples that were sent in that were used in shoots over the winter. We no longer need most of these items. You two are going to help me sort them by designer and clothing type. The fun part is that you two can keep anything that I don't pull for our collection. So, let's get busy._ "

In a few hours time, the three of them had used the racks in the room to separate the men's clothing from women's clothing. The men's clothing had been sorted into jackets and vests, button-up shirts, slacks and shorts, a single rack with casual clothing on it, and a rack of accessories, like belts and ties. The women's clothes had a few more categories because there were many, many more women's pieces in the room. Once everything was sorted neatly, Lisette went through the men's pieces first and pulled all of the items that would be kept and put them onto a couple of racks and moved them to side. While she moved on to the women's collection, Kurt and Sebastian started looking through the racks of clothing they could choose items from.

" _This is still a dream. I know one day, I'm going to wake up and find out I have a great imagination and dreamed all of this._ "

" _Now, stop that and look through the racks with me,_ " he nudged Kurt while laughing.

" _I'm going to need another suitcase. I want to take all of this with me._ "

" _Just pick a few things and try them on to start with. See what you really like. I think this shirt would look good on you,_ " Sebastian said as he handed Kurt a nice navy short sleeved YSL shirt.

Fifteen minutes later, Kurt and Sebastian both had a stack of clothes they were trying on. An hour later, they had both made their choices.

" _I've got a whole new summer wardrobe here,_ " Kurt said. " _I love this lightweight jacket. I like the linen shorts. And these shirts are great. I've never really worn short-sleeved button-up shirts much before, but I'm going to expand my horizons and venture into something new. What did you pick?_ "

Sebastian showed him the pieces he had chosen. " _I already have quite a bit of stuff at home, so I just picked a couple of the things I like the most. I can only wear so many clothes and I don't want my dorm room to be a walk-in closet with a bed and a desk in it._ "

" _That's true. I don't really own very many designer pieces, so I'm going to replace some of the stuff I have at home with these new items. And like I said, I almost always wore long sleeves to school, so I don't own many nice short-sleeved shirts. Since I was at home or at the shop most of the time in the summer, I just have mostly work clothes and t-shirts. If I went out in the summer, I'd just roll my sleeves up if I got really hot. But since I won't be needing to hide myself behind layers of clothing anymore, I will put all these new pieces to good use._ "

Kurt moved to where Lisette was still working on going through the women's items. " _Are you sure that we can take these? I mean I absolutely love these and I would definitely wear them, but I feel really weird just taking them._ "

" _Yes, dear. They were samples. If I didn't take the pieces to put in our collection for future use, then they're up for grabs. Once Sebastian could fit into the sample-sized clothing, I used to bring home a lot of his clothes from the samples._ "

" _This is just so exciting. I've never even seen this many fabulous clothes in one place. Most of these brands are not even carried in stores in Lima._ "

" _I'm glad you're having fun. I'm going to leave you two here to finish your selections and I'm going to take these racks. I'll be back for the rest._ "

" _I'm going to take another look through the racks, just to make sure there's nothing that I missed._ "

" _Did you look at the shoes?_ "

" _Shoes?_ "

" _Over there on the wall._ "

Kurt turned and walked to where Sebastian had pointed. Sebastian followed him. " _I've never worn sandals. I only own a single pair of flip flops for the pool._ "

" _Well, time to expand your horizons more then. Try some on. See what you think._ "

Kurt picked up a couple of pairs and moved to a chair. He took off his socks and put a sandal from each pair on. " _My feet look weird._ "

" _Everyone's feet look weird. Is either one comfortable?_ "

" _Actually, they both feel fine. My feet and ankles just feel naked._ "

" _Were there any others that you wanted to try?_ " Kurt glanced back and shook his head and went back to looking at his feet. He got up and went and looked at himself in the mirror.

" _I guess they don't look horrible, but it's just weird._ "

" _Well, if they're comfortable, just take both pairs and give them a try. No better way to see if you like wearing sandals than to get really nice ones for free_ "

" _You're right. I'll try them. Hey, I just had an idea. Come look through that casual rack with me and let's see if there's anything that would fit Sam. He's definitely broader shouldered than either of us, so there may be nothing, but I want to check anyway._ "

The two of them looked through the rack and found some board shorts and a couple of tanks and tees that might fit. " _I'll take him these. Let's go look at the shoes again. Maybe there were some athletic sandals that I didn't even consider_." They walked back to the shoes. " _These. I'm going to try them on,_ " Kurt said slipping off the mismatched set he was wearing. " _These are actually really comfortable. Totally not me, but comfortable. They'll be perfect._ "

Sebastian smiled. " _You miss him._ "

" _Of course I do. But I hope he's having fun in Kentucky. He likes being with his family. He just hates where they live_."

" _I bet,_ " he said remembering what Kurt had told him about Sam's situation. " _I'm going to text Mom and get her to bring a couple of garment bags back here so that we can get this stuff home more easily. She can bring the bags back with her to work tomorrow._ "

A few minutes later, Lisette brought the garment bags. " _I have one last surprise. I want both of you to put on your favorite outfit from the ones you just chose and put the rest of the clothes, including what you came here wearing, into the garment bags and follow me._ "

" _Kurt?_ " Sebastian said from the area where he was changing.

" _Yeah?_ "

" _Can I wear the pair of brown sandals you chose? These shorts look ridiculous with the boots I'm wearing._ "

" _Sure. I'm putting the black sandals on for the same reason._ "

Sebastian put on the brown sandals, then realized that the belt he was wearing wouldn't go with the sandals and he walked over to the accessories rack and grabbed a brown belt. " _Do you need a belt too?_ " Kurt came over and chose one to go with the outfit he had on.

They put all of the clothes in the bags and looped Sam's sandals over the hangers. They each carried the boots they had been wearing and came out of the room to find Lisette waiting for them in the hall. " _Nice job, boys. You look great. Follow me._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Everything had been cleared out from the morning photoshoot and Lisette had placed a few simple white boxes on the floor.

" _Mom?_ " Sebastian looked around wondering what they were doing.

" _Sit on the boxes._ " They did. She posed them in a variety of ways, snapping photos of them all the while. She had them pose individually as well. After about 15 minutes, she said, " _That's it. Now, you can both say you had a photoshoot at Vogue,_ " she laughed. " _I'll bring the photos home on a disk tomorrow._ "

" _This was a lot of fun,_ " Kurt smiled. " _Thanks so much for letting us come today. I did get to see Anna today at lunch. She walked through the hall near where we were eating lunch._ "

Lisette smiled at him. " _Let's head out. You can just leave the clothes on that you're wearing. We're going home first and then out for dinner. If you want to change, you can do it at home._ "

When they got back to the apartment, Sebastian and Kurt emptied the garment bags and put the clothes into Sebastian's closet. " _Your part of the closet is overflowing now,_ " Sebastian teased. " _Now you see why I told you to pack light. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist a new wardrobe courtesy of my mom._ "

" _Thank you for asking her to take us. I would have never had the nerve to ask, but it was so much fun, even without getting the clothes. But the clothes are an awesome bonus,_ " Kurt said looking through all of his new summer clothes. " _I'm going to leave this outfit on unless we're going somewhere really fancy for dinner._ "

" _Nope. You're fine. I'm just going to switch shoes and belts. These are yours. I'll wear my own,_ " he said as he pulled a pair off his shoe rack and handed Kurt the pair he had on. He grabbed his own brown belt off the hook in the closet.

Sebastian carried the empty garment bags out to the living room and laid them over the back of a chair. He called out, " _Mom, we're ready whenever you are._ "

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They walked to a small café a few blocks away. They enjoyed their meal and spent time talking about their day. Sebastian brought up Kurt's sewing and designs.

" _Do you have any photos of your sketches?_ " Kurt took out his phone and pulled up the folder where he kept the photos he had and handed Lisette his phone.

" _I like this one a lot. This one is good too. These drawings are nice. Do you have any photos of things you've actually made?_ "

" _I have a few_." She handed his phone back and he showed her one himself in the kilt he had made. " _You designed and made this yourself?_ " He nodded.

" _Can I see?_ " Sebastian asked.

" _Only if you promise not to laugh._ "

" _I won't laugh._ " Kurt handed him the phone.

" _That's really nice. I'm assuming you altered the tux jacket too._ " Kurt nodded. " _Why would I laugh?_ "

" _Well, you know the story, but never mind._ " Kurt avoided answering.

" _I think what you've shown me is good,_ " Lisette said.

Kurt blushed and said, " _Thank you._ " and put his phone back away.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After they had showered and gotten into bed, Sebastian brought up the kilt again.

" _Why did you think I'd laugh at your kilt?_ "

" _Well, you did your fair bit of teasing me about the clothes I wore, and the kilt was a lot more 'out there' than anything you ever saw me wear. And the night I wore that was really bad. My dad hated the kilt and I knew that Blaine was uncomfortable with me wearing it. But I had worn kilts to school before and I worked really hard on it and I went against what my dad and Blaine said and wore it to Prom anyway._ " Kurt paused.

" _And?_ "

" _I was voted Prom Queen."_

" _I know that part, but you didn't tell me the story. You said 'maybe some other time' when I asked that night. Who was King?_ "

" _David._ " Kurt paused.

Sebastian just waited for him to continue.

" _Our principal tried to get us to dance together. I was stupid and encouraged him to come out. He fled, leaving me standing alone in the spotlight. Blaine stepped up and asked me to dance with him. That's one really good memory of being with him that I'll always have. He didn't leave me just standing there._ "

" _Well, that's good._ "

Sebastian was thinking. " _Prom your junior year?_ " he asked, just fitting the new facts in with the information he already had.

" _Yeah, David ran with Santana for Prom royalty. It was part of her blackmail scheme. She figured out he was gay after Regionals and blackmailed him into protecting me by forming the Bullywhips with her and into running with her for Prom royalty. Although I never did figure out why she wanted me back at school so badly. They had enough people go to to Nationals without me._ "

" _I never did hear how Dave was outed. Obviously, you and Santana kept his secret. He wasn't at McKinley anymore though, was he?_ "

" _No, I didn't see him again after Prom until that night at Scandals, but I'm assuming he laid low and finished out the last couple of weeks at McKinley, and that he transferred and started a different school in the fall. Him getting outed was partially my fault though._ "

" _How?_ "

" _This falls into the 'no one can know this' category._ "

" _Not that I have anyone to tell, but I wouldn't anyway._ "

" _Can I ask you something first?_ "

" _Sure._ "

" _Did you and Blaine go back to Scandals without me?_ "

" _Yes and no. He came several times when I was there, but not at my invitation. Several times last fall and early winter he showed up. This was before the slushie incident. We just danced and he drank some. He didn't drink as much as he did the first time when you were with us. At the time, I was under the impression that you didn't enjoy our first visit and that you didn't want to come back with him. I still don't know how he managed to find out when I was going to be there._ "

" _Well, I didn't enjoy our first visit, but I obviously didn't know that he had been back without me. But that does explain something I had been wondering about for ages, but never asked about._ "

" _What does it explain?_ "

" _Valentine's Day._ "

" _I'm lost._ "

" _Well, I've been confused about it since February._ " He told Sebastian the story of the mystery gifts with a final meeting at Breadstix. " _I honestly thought the gifts were from Blaine. He was at home recovering from the eye surgery. So, I thought he was being romantic and sending me things. I went to Breadstix and it turned out that David had been sending me the gifts. We sat down at a table in the restaurant and we talked. He asked me to go out with him. I told him that I was with Blaine. And he had this look on his face that just didn't make sense to me at the time. But I'm guessing the look was because he thought that Blaine and I had broken up since he kept seeing the two of you at Scandals. A jock from his school was at the restaurant and saw David and me together. That's how he was outed. If he hadn't been there with me, he would have been able to finish out his senior year in peace, which was all he wanted._ "

Kurt continued, " _So, now you know how David got outed and why I feel so toxic. Just being seen with me in Breadstix was enough to get Davd labeled as gay. The fact that he was in the closet was just coincidence. Any guy who was caught meeting me there would have potentially faced the same thing. I only agreed to go with you there that night that we ended up leaving because you're already out. And even that was a bad idea._ "

" _You're not toxic. Lima is toxic._ "

" _You're right of course, but it's really hard to believe that when you're the one being told that it's you that toxic your whole life._ "

Sebastian reached over and took Kurt's hand and squeezed it, then let go. " _Things are going to be better from now on. You'll see._ "

" _They already are._ "

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On Thursday morning during breakfast, they looked through the flyer from the bookshop and Sebastian saw that one of the authors he liked was going to be doing a book signing and talk at the store the following week. They decided that they would buy a copy of his newest book when they were out that day. Sebastian already had a copy, but it was packed in the boxes in Ohio waiting to be taken to New Haven.

The first place they stopped when they went out was a place to get Kurt's Passport photos taken so that Kurt would have them ready when he needed them. They browsed through a few stores in the area and they went into a bookstore, bought the book and they planned to spend their non-tourist time reading at Parc Monceau in Sebastian's favorite reading spot after lunch. But right after lunch, Kurt got a call from the Préfecture saying that his ID card was ready to be picked up.

He and Sebastian took the Metro down and read while riding instead of at the park like they had planned. As soon as he picked up his ID, they headed back to Kurt's grandparents, but only stayed an hour. They headed back the Metro afterwards and immediately went to the Passport office with the hope that it really would be ready to be picked up in less than 2 weeks. While Sebastian waited for Kurt, he called the bookshop and added their names to the book signing list.

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Friday, they opted to not be tourists. Sebastian asked Kurt, " _Do you remember what I told you when you ask me what one thing was that I had always wanted to do for my mom, but never had?_ "

" _Sure. You said you had always wanted to prepare a 5-course meal for her. Oooh, is that what we're going to do today?_ " Sebastian smiled and nodded.

Sebastian took Kurt out to buy the ingredients to make the dinner. They made simple sandwiches for lunch and spent the afternoon preparing a 5-course dinner for Lisette. By the time they had prepared everything, it seemed that they had gotten every pot, pan and cooking utensil dirty. They spent the last hour before Lisette was going to get home washing, drying and putting everything back away. Kurt set the table while Sebastian put the finishing touches on the gâteau opera. They hurried to change before she got home.

Lisette came in to find the table covered in a tablecloth with their finest dishes and all the cutlery set up. " _Sebastian?_ " she called out. " _Kurt?_ " They came out of Sebastian's room dressed to the nines. " _What's going on? Did you meet someone famous and invite them over for dinner?_ " she teased.

" _No, Mom. It's all for you. Please sit._ " Lisette sat as requested. Sebastian and Kurt took turns bringing out each course of the meal.

" _This has all been fantastic you two. What brought all this on?_ " she asked before anyone had gotten up to get the dessert.

" _Well, Kurt and I play this game where one person asks a question and the other has to answer truthfully or pass. No lying. It started out as a way for us to get to know each other because our initial interactions had not been based on our true selves, which we won't get into over dinner. But one night, he asked me what the one thing I'd like to do for you that I had never done and my answer was to make you a really fancy dinner. I was always so busy and I never just took the time to do it when I was here and when I had so much time on my hands in Ohio I just realized how lame it was of me that I was too busy to spend time with you when I could have. I really missed you._ "

By this point, Lisette had tears streaming down her face. " _I missed you so much._ "

Kurt stood up to give them a little time alone. He went and brought the cake out and put it on the table.

" _Oh my word. You made me a gâteau opera._ "

" _It's your favorite, so of course, we made it._ " Sebastian gave the knife to his mother and let her cut a slice of the cake for herself and the two of them.

" _It's fabulous. You boys did an amazing job on dinner. Thank you so much._ "

" _My pleasure,_ " Kurt said.

" _You're welcome, Mom._ "

Kurt got up and started to clear the table. Sebastian tried to help, but Kurt told him to go sit and talk with his mom while he washed the dishes. Sebastian reluctantly agreed. About 15 minutes later, Sebastian came back to the kitchen and started to dry and put away the dishes that Kurt had washed. Kurt looked at Sebastian quizzically.

" _She has plans with friends of hers to go hear a band at a club tonight._ "

" _Okay. Is there anything you'd like to do? You know you don't have to keep me company. If there's something you want to do, you can do it. I don't want you to feel like I'm keeping you away from anything. I can just stay here and read or watch a movie._ "

Sebastian finished putting the dishes away and walked into the living room and Kurt followed him.

" _You're not keeping me from anything, but we could go out to a movie if you'd like or we can stay here and watch something._ "

" _Your choice._ "

" _Let's stay here tonight and maybe look through the movie listings tomorrow and find one to go see tomorrow evening."_

" _That's fine. You pick something, but let's get ready for bed first._ "

They took turns showering and put their pajamas on. Sebastian chose _Let My People Go_ while Kurt was in the shower. Kurt did his moisturizing routine while Sebastian showered. They went back into the living room and Sebastian turned off all of the lights and started the DVD. " _I don't know if this is any good because I've never seen it, but supposedly it's a comedy according to the case._ "

After the movie was over, they went to bed. " _Thanks for helping me with the dinner for my mom._ "

" _You're welcome. I wanted to do something nice for her as well. She's letting me stay here for three weeks and she's been so helpful. And cooking with you is fun._ "

" _I had fun cooking with you too. Tomorrow over breakfast, we'll plan out our tourist days for next week._ "

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" _How about we do touristy things on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. I have something else in mind for Wednesday. Thursday we'll go to to a club in the evening and then we can sleep in on Friday and then do something completely boring like laundry, which we should also do today. That bookshop event is Tuesday evening,_ " Sebastian suggested.

" _What are we doing on Wednesday?_ "

" _It's a surprise._ "

" _Okay. I think your plan sounds like a good one. Maybe we can do something with my grandparents next weekend too._ "

" _Okay. I have an idea for that as well, but I have to talk to my mom first._ "

" _So, laundry today and we'll check the theater listings while we're down there and pick something to go out and see this evening._ " They gathered up their laundry and mixed them together to get a full dark load and a full light load.

" _So, where's the washing machine?_ "

" _Downstairs on the main level._ "

" _Do you have drying racks? I usually hang quite a bit of stuff to dry._ "

" _I have racks. I'll set them up before we go down._ " Kurt carried the basket to the door while Sebastian got the racks out. Kurt helped him set them up.

Sebastian grabbed the detergent and led the way down to the laundry room. He showed Kurt how to use the machines. After the loads were going, he pulled out his phone and started looking through entertainment options.

" _Well, I don't really see anything playing in the movie theaters, but if you're interested_ Mamma Mia _is at Théâtre de Mogador_."

" _In English or French?_ "

" _French._ "

" _Let's do it._ "

" _As soon as we get the laundry done, we'll walk over there and see if there are any tickets left for this evening. We'll grab some lunch on the way back._ "

They finished the laundry, and headed out. It was about a 30 minute walk to the theater and fortunately there were tickets still available. They bought two tickets and ate a light lunch on the way back to Sebastian's.

" _Did you finish the book yet?_ " Sebastian asked Kurt.

" _No, not yet. Did you?"_

" _Yes, but I've read it before and I've had a lot of practice reading on the Metro._ "

" _Do you want to finish it this afternoon? We can stay in and read here or go back down to the park if you want._ "

" _Here's fine. Maybe you can just play some instrumental music and we can read. Then, later we can warm up some of the leftovers from last night and eat before we walk back to the theater._ " It was an enjoyable, relaxing afternoon.

They both enjoyed the songs and found it odd to hear all of the _Mamma Mia_ songs in French when they were so used to the English versions. When they got back, Lisette suggested that they all sit down and eat another slice of cake, which they did. They talked about the musical and Lisette reminded them that they needed to be ready at 11:00 for the surprise that she had planned and to dress casual. She showed them what she had brought back from the market for them to use to pack the picnic lunch that they would need to take with them.

Everyone headed off to get ready bed after their dessert and late evening chat.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt started the questions that evening. " _If you could meet one author, living or dead, who would it be?_ "


	12. Chapter 12

Kurt spent his morning ironing his and Sebastian's shirts while Sebastian made them breakfast and cleaned the kitchen afterwards. Then the two of them worked together to pack the large picnic lunch that Lisette had requested. She left for a yoga class right after they began to work on the food. By the time she got back, they had finished and they were getting ready for the outing that she had planned. She showered and was ready to go quickly. They took the Metro and walked a bit and ended up at a port where Kurt's grandparents were waiting for them.

Lisette had rented a boat for the five of them from Marin d'eau douce. It was a 2-hour adventure on the Seine. Kurt and Sebastian took turns piloting. The five of them enjoyed the sights and just spending time talking with each other for the afternoon. Sebastian and Kurt had brought the food they had packed a picnic for everyone in a backpack and after their time was up on the boat, they found a nearby park where they could eat.

That evening Kurt and Sebastian planned their itinerary for Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Sebastian still wouldn't give Kurt any clue about his plans for Wednesday. They chose the walking tour of Montmartre for their Monday adventures.

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They started the day as usual for them, making breakfast together, eating and talking. But this time, Sebastian picked out Kurt's outfit. He selected a pair of black linen pants and the lightweight eggshell linen jacket that Kurt had chosen at Vogue. He paired it with a nice short-sleeved button up and he slipped a tie for each of them into the small messenger bag that was going to take with him. He dressed himself in a similar fashion. They got ready and took the Metro to the Pagille stop in Montmartre.

They started their walking tour from there. They saw where Van Gogh lived. They passed the Chat Noir and could see the Sacré-Coeur Garden from a distance. They stopped and sat for a while in the Place des Abbesses. They walked through St. Jean l'Evangéliste. They climbed the stairs to see where Seurat had lived and then went past the artist colony where Picasso had lived.

They decided to take a detour and go to the Espace Dali Montremarte. It wasn't on the walking tour, but both of them wanted to visit. Afterwards, they walked toward the Sacré-Coeur Basilica. They decided to stop for lunch at an Irish Pub they saw on their way to the basilica.

" _Nutella crepes. I think we definitely need those for dessert,_ " Kurt said with a twinkle in his eye.

" _Sounds good. I'm having a salad. How about you?_ "

" _Me too. I think the Salade Parisian._ "

The food was decent, but the view was great and they enjoyed eating outside. Once they finished, they headed back out toward the Basilica.

They entered the church and Kurt was struck by the beauty. " _The nave with all of the arches, it's just amazing._ " He was awestruck as he looked up and noticed all of the stained glass windows above the arches that went all the way around the top of the nave. The artwork and the architecture were just breathtaking. " _It's just hard to fathom someone being able to conceptualize something so amazing, much less actually build it. The mathematical skill alone, but the craftsmanship to be able to cut each piece that was use to fit so exactly perfectly. And then the artisans who painted all of these murals. It's just phenomenal._ "

" _I know. Sometimes, it's overwhelming._ "

They looked around for a while longer and eventually left the building and continued on their walking tour. They stopped and looked in some shops and at the houses where famous artists had lived as they walked.

They stopped in the Musée de Montmartre. They spent quite a bit of time there as they toured through the buildings, enjoying the impressionist and post-impressionist artwork.

" _It feels like there is more art and creativity in this one area than there is in all of Ohio. I'm back to being Alice, I think. All of this seems so fantastical._ "

After they left the museum, they walked through more of Montremarte enjoying the view of the vineyard and the remaining windmill. They saw another home that Van Gogh had occupied.

When they had gotten close to the end of the walking tour, Sebastian led them off the tour path and into an area with a lot of shops. " _You have to go to at least one fromagerie while you're here._ "

As they went inside, Kurt said, " _I've died and gone to cheese heaven. I didn't even know there were this many different types of cheese._ "

Sebastian laughed. " _Let's pick some out and go back outside and snack on what we buy._ " They moved through the store and Kurt chose quite a few things to try. Sebastian bought his favorite types. They bought their cheese and some bottled water and left.

" _This is awesome. I'm really in heaven. Paris is heaven. I'm convinced. Everything I've ever dreamed of is here,_ " Kurt said as he stuffed another piece of cheese into his mouth.

Sebastian just smiled and ate his cheese.

They spent some time just browsing through some stores in the area until about 6:15.

" _Kurt?_ "

He turned to look at Sebastian, " _Yes?_ "

" _This is one of those times where I decided for us to do something together and I already bought tickets for it, so please don't feel like you owe me, okay?_ "

" _Um, okay._ "

Sebastian led them a few blocks away and when he got to the corner, he asked Kurt to close his eyes. He carefully led Kurt down the street and stopped.

" _Open your eyes._ " Kurt looked up.

" _The Moulin Rouge? We're going to a show at the Moulin Rouge?_ "

Sebastian nodded.

" _Oh, my God!_ "

" _Here's put this on._ " He pulled out the two ties he had in his bag and handed one to Kurt and he tied it.

" _Now, I see why you chose my clothes this morning. How does my tie look? I don't have a mirror._ "

Sebastian reached out and straightened Kurt's tie a bit. " _There._ "

" _The website said to arrive 30 minutes early, so let's get inside. I chose two different dinner options for us. I think you'll like yours, but I'll always switch if you want._ "

Kurt smiled. " _I'm sure I'll like whatever you chose. This is so exciting._ "

" _I've been looking forward to it since I bought the tickets last week. I've not actually been to a show here before._ "

They went inside and were shown to their places. They had a good view from their location. They both enjoyed their food and the show was fabulous.

" _That was fantastic. The energy. It was just awesome!_ " Kurt was talking very excitedly. He pulled Sebastian into a hug. " _I don't even want to know how much this cost, but it was worth every cent._ "

" _It was. That was a ton of fun. Let's head back to the Metro station. It's already pretty late. Let's go before it gets dark._ "

When they entered Sebastian's apartment, they were still discussing all of the amazing things they had seen during the day. Lisette was up, waiting for them to get back.

" _You took pictures, right?_ " she asked as they came in.

" _In the places we could,_ I" Sebastian answered. He and Kurt went and sat down and got their phones out and showed Lisette their photos and talked about all of the places they went.

" _It's been a long time since I was in Montremartre. I should make a trip back there soon,_ " she said while looking through their photos.

After Kurt and Sebastian had gone to the bedroom for the evening, Kurt asked Sebastian if he could borrow his laptop to upload all of the pictures from his phone to a DVD. He saved them to iCloud, but he wanted a disk with them on it too. Kurt showered first and Sebastian got his laptop out and set it up. Kurt used it while Sebastian got ready for bed. The disc done by the time Sebastian was back.

" _Thanks,_ " he said as he gave the laptop back. Kurt put the DVD in his suitcase.

They got into bed and only lasted through a couple of questions before they both fell asleep.

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Tuesday morning, Sebastian woke up first and started on breakfast.

" _Hey, sleepyhead,_ " he said to Kurt when he came in search of coffee.

" _Hey, yourself. Sorry I overslept._ "

" _Not a big deal. This is supposed to be a vacation, not a way to exhaust yourself. Actually last night when you were in the shower, I booked us a double-decker bus tour for today. That way we can ride around town and see the outdoor landmarks without having to walk so much. We'll be walking more tomorrow._ "

" _I've obviously never been on a double-decker bus. It sound like fun._ "

Kurt ate what Sebastian had made and the two of them got dressed and took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower, where the bus tour started. The bus took them all around Paris from there. They rode past the Champ de Mars, the Opéra Garnier, the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Musée d'Orsay, the Grand Palais, and Trocadéro. They returned to the Eiffel Tower about two and half hours later.

" _Come on, let's go up. I got us tickets to the top when I got the bus tour tickets._ "

" _It's a long way up,_ " Kurt looked up.

" _Yeah, but the view is magnificent. Come on,_ " Sebastian pulled him to the elevator. They made their way up to the second floor, got out and enjoyed the view from their on all sides. They walked over to the elevator to the top and Kurt took a deep breath and stepped in. They rode to the top and with trepidation Kurt exited the elevator. He was speechless. He took photos and handed his phone to Sebastian to take a picture of him. Sebastian also took a selfie of them together with both of their phones. The way down was just as daunting as the way up, but once he was down, Kurt spoke again.

" _That was utterly nerve wracking and totally amazing! Totally worth the terror._ "

" _Told you,_ " Sebastian laughed. " _Come on, I have another surprise for you._ "

They walked for quite a while and Kurt really had no idea where they were going. But it didn't take long for him to spot all of the high-end stores they were approaching.

" _Browsing. We're going browsing in stores I cannot afford a single item in, but I have to go in._ "

" _That's why we came this way,_ " he teased. " _You pick. We've got about four hours before the bookshop event and about a 15-minute walk to get there from here. And at some point some food might be nice._ "

" _Okay. Let's eat first since we haven't had lunch. Then we'll go looking. At least they won't just toss us out because of the way we're dressed thanks to your mom._ "

" _I know a great place. It's back about a block, but it has good food. I've been there with my mom before. It's Peruvian._ "

" _Sounds interesting. I'm game._ "

They ordered a variety of small items and shared them, like Kurt and Sam had done at the Japanese restaurant. " _Well, that was totally unique and very tasty. Now, let's hit the stores._ "

They visited Loro Piana, Bottega Veneta France, Dior Homme, Jimmy Choo, Givenchy, Gianni Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabanna, and Balenciaga. It was a whirlwind tour of each store. They stayed for about 20 minutes in each store, just long enough to look around briefly. Kurt knew he didn't have the money to actually buy anything, but looking was a lot of fun.

" _Well, that was exciting. I fit in well enough not to alert the security to follow me around high end stores,_ " he laughed. " _All thanks to your mom's additions to my wardrobe._ "

" _Let's get walking to the bookshop so we aren't late. I put both of our copies of the book in my bag this morning._ "

" _Thanks. I didn't even think of that. I didn't know we'd be out all day. I'm glad you thought so far ahead._ "

They arrived at the bookshop in plenty of time and got seats. They enjoyed the author's talk and got their books autographed. Sebastian spent a few minutes talking to the author afterwards, but Kurt just listened while they talked. Afterwards, they walked back to Sebastian's.

"So, tomorrow?" Kurt tried to get Sebastian to give him a hint.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow..." Sebastian started singing.

Kurt nudged him. "No hints then?"

"Not a one. Except dress totally casually and wear comfortable shoes."

"Well, these boots you recommended are doing their job quite well. Are they suitable?"

"Yep. As long as the rest of your outfit isn't dressy."

They went in and decided to have a slice of cake for dinner and get ready for bed right away. A few questions later and they were both sound asleep.

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Sebastian woke Kurt up and said, " _Come on, get dressed. I made sandwiches for us to eat on our way to the Metro._ "

Kurt put on the loosest fitting jeans that he had with him, a shirt he had brought with him and his new boots. " _How's this?_ "

" _Perfect. But leave the bag here. You won't need it. Just your phone and the pouch. Let's go._ "

Sebastian handed him his sandwich and a bottle of water and they headed out the door. They walked to the Metro station and got on, but got back off just a few minutes later and got on the RER. When the RER passed the next to last stop, Kurt knew their destination for sure.

" _You're taking me to Disneyland?_ "

" _I am._ "

Kurt started bouncing his legs uncontrollably. " _This is going to be spectacular._ "

" _That's the plan,_ " Sebastian laughed. " _Let's go,_ " he said as the train came to a stop.

Kurt could see the castle in the distance and the entrance was just right outside the train station. " _Wow, front door service. Hurry up!_ "

" _It opens in like 20 minutes. Calm down,_ " he laughed. " _We'll go get in line. I already have tickets._ "

" _I LOVE Disney._ "

" _Really? I couldn't tell,_ " Sebastian deadpanned.

Kurt stuck his tongue out at him, grabbed his hand and took off jogging toward the entrance, half dragging Sebastian. They got in line. Sebastian pulled out his phone and opened a Disney map he had downloaded.

" _Here,_ " he said, handing Kurt his phone. " _You can look at the map while we wait and make a plan for our day._ " That task kept Kurt occupied until they got to the gate and went inside.

" _Left. Definitely left when we get to the Central Plaza._ "

" _What's around the river bend? Waiting just around the river bend?_ " Sebastian sang out.

" _You're as big of a Disney fan as I am._ "

" _Could be,_ " he shrugged.

They walked down Main St. and took a left into Frontierland. Kurt pulled Sebastian past several attractions and went into the Pocahontas Village, which was empty just as he had suspected it would be. He decided to really pull out the silliness and started in on "Colors of the Wind" while he made his way through the playground. Sebastian just stood near the entrance half laughing at him and smiling.

When Kurt came back to the entrance, Sebastian said, "It's on!"

They had a good time on their steamboat ride and Big Thunder Mountain was fun. In the shooting gallery, it was a draw until Kurt pulled out the stops and beat Sebastian 3-2.

"The coasters at Cedar Point were a lot more intense, but I really like the character and the fun of Thunder Mountain. Let's go get in line to ride the Temple of Doom." They made their way into Adventureland and headed straight for the roller coaster. After they got off they went and climbed through the Robinson Crusoe tree house.

After some silly selfies in front of the pirate ship in Pirate Beach, Sebastian started in with "It's a Pirates Life for Me", trying to one up Kurt's Pocahontas song. Kurt laughed as Sebastian danced around.

"Come on, you goof," he grabbed him before he caused a scene in the playground. "Let's go see the real pirates," Kurt said as he pulled Sebastian to the Pirates of the Caribbean. After a rousing round of pirates and jokes, they headed into Fantasyland.

"Think of a wonderful thought, any merry little thought... You can fly, you can fly, fly," Sebastian started the song as they headed to the Peter Pan ride, but soon Kurt joined in. People were starting to stare as they stood in line, but when they finished, people clapped and the two of them bowed, just playing along and having fun.

They rode the carousel, admired Sleeping Beauty's castle and the other attractions at the heart of the park.

"The Dragon's Lair is so cool. I love those effects," Kurt said as they exited. They walked towards the Alice themed attractions. Kurt moved quickly toward the labyrinth and started pretending to paint the bushes. "We're painting the roses red, we're painting the roses red," and then Sebastian took Alice's part in questioning his actions. "You are totally a Disney nerd." Kurt ran off into the labyrinth avoiding the water to the best of his ability. He just wanted to play around, not get soaked. They finished the rides in the area by riding the teacups.

"We have to go meet Mickey," Sebastian said. "You just can't go to Disneyland and not meet Mickey."

"The line is pretty long. Let's grab a turkey leg and eat while we stand in line." Thirty minutes later, they were much less hungry and finally ready for their photos. They took pictures of each other and then had the photographer take one of them together.

"So, where next?"

"I've been choosing so far. Your turn," Kurt answered.

"Let's get a Dole Whip and take the train to back around to the front. The other park closes a lot earlier. Let's head over there until it closes at 7:00. Then we can come back and visit Discoveryland."

They rode the train to the front and exited and walked over to the entrance of Walt Disney Studios Park. They toured through the different sections enjoying the attractions. They tried their hand at animation, rode the magic carpet as they sang "A Whole New World", and they had a blast in Toy Story Playland. The backlot was exciting to visit as well.

After they had visited all of the areas, they headed back to Discoveryland.

"The steampunk look of that ride is really awesome," Kurt said as they walked past the Orbitron. "What about Space Mountain?"

"It's fun, but you get banged around a lot because it's completely dark and you can't predict what's going to happen next. Let's do that next, then get a drink and watch a show for a while. That will give us time to recover some."

After they exited the roller coaster, Kurt said, "That was definitely an experience. I think I prefer coasters where I can see what's going to happen next."

"Let's get a drink and go watch something in Videopolis Theater." After about 20 minutes of watching shorts, both of them had recovered from their epic adventure in the dark.

When they left the theater, they went to ride the cars and then got in line for Buzz Lightyear. "This ride is so much fun. Just wait until we get inside. You're going to want to get right back in line when we come out." And that's exactly what happened three times in a row.

"If I could install one of those in Lima, I'd be rich," Kurt said as they came out the third time. "No one could resist going. People would drive to Lima just for that."

"I'm sure they would. It's a ton of fun and there's really nothing to do in Lima."

"Let's go get something else to eat and look through the shops before the parade," Sebastian said.

They went into Markethouse Deli because they wanted real food, not just desserts and sweets like they had seen in most of the shops. After they finished their sandwiches, they went into several shops and they looked a lot of fun Disney merchandise. Mickey Mouse waffle makers, towels, shot glasses, hats... the list was endless. They both decided that a t-shirt would be fun. And Kurt decided to buy something else for his new kitchen.

"I'm hoping that Sam and I will make a lot of new friends and have people over to our apartment a lot. I'm going to splurge and buy this Mickey Mouse stainless 5-piece serving utensil set."

"Have you bought a lot of stuff for your new apartment yet?"

"No. So far, I bought a cool bottle opener at the aquarium in Chicago and then this serving set. I got a gift card for Kohl's from Carole to buy some things, but I'm waiting until we actually move to use it. We'll have to furnish as we can. First thing will be to get beds and some sort of kitchen table. Everything else will just have to wait until we get the money together."

Sebastian and Kurt both liked the black t-shirt with gray and white drawings of the park's attractions with the 2012 on it. They got in line, paid for their purchases and headed back outside to find a place to sit and wait for the fireworks to begin.

"You asked about the furniture. Here's what I've been doing. It's my version of Sims," he laughed. "I used this app to draw the apartment and furnish it. I've been shopping online at Ikea. Well, not really shopping, but I put a bunch of stuff in my shopping cart that I would buy if I had money. I've been fooling around with both apps for a while, just having fun when I've had to sit around and wait. You can look at it if you want, while we wait".

Sebastian looked through Kurt's shopping cart and the room designing app for a while. "Why did you select all gray furniture?"

"Well, Sam's an artist. I'd like to paint the walls a pale warm color and then hang his artwork on the walls and place some of his pottery around on the furniture. I thought I could sew some cool bright colored curtains and pillows for the couches and beds and the furniture itself would just kind of be less of the focus, if that makes sense. I just thought it would be a cool way to highlight his artwork."

"Do you have any photos of any of his stuff?"

"I have a photo of the painting he gave me for my birthday." Kurt reached for his phone, pulled up the photo and handed his phone back to Sebastian.

"Wow. He is really good."

"I'm hoping the new high school will really help him prepare a good portfolio. I think he's good enough to get into the art school at the university I'm going to. The art teacher at McKinley has already written a recommendation letter for him."

"I bet you had something to do with that." Kurt didn't respond, but he smiled.

"He lost some of his pieces when the bank foreclosed on their home last year. It was awful."

"That's illegal, you know."

"Well, legal or illegal makes little difference when the party involved can't afford to fight. The company that the bank sent to change the locks gave his parents ten minutes to collect whatever they could and get out. Sam and his brother and sister were already at school when the company arrived. His parents grabbed their photo albums, their laptops, and their files with their important documents and were forced out."

"If I had known you guys back then, I could have gotten my dad to do something about it."

They just sat there in silence for a while.

"Are things better now?"

"His parents are renting a small house and they both have jobs now. So, things are a lot better than they were a year ago, but they're still at the point where every penny in is on its way out. But with Sam's mom getting on permanently recently, they no longer depend on the money that Sam was sending them. They actually saved it for the last few months in an emergency fund. So, things are looking up. They're both still looking for better jobs."

The fireworks started and they stopped talking and just watched. Once they ended, they just sat for a little while and let the crowd disperse a bit before they made their way back to the entrance.

"Let's get on the train and ride all the way around the park once before we leave," Kurt said. "That should give more people a chance to leave and maybe the RER won't be so crowded by then."

When they got back to the front of the park, they headed to the RER, which was still crowded, but less so. They got on and headed back to Sebastian's. They talked about their day on the way back.

"Tomorrow can be a lazy day. We can sleep in and wander around the neighborhood if you want. There's a small museum just a couple of blocks away. Maybe we'll go there for a little while, but I want to relax during the day because we've walked a zillion miles in the last week and because I want to take you to a club tomorrow evening."

Kurt looked concerned. "I'm not really sure that clubbing is my scene. I'm not comfortable with people approaching me like that. I'll only go if you pretend that we're together."

Sebastian leaned in and pretended like he was going to give Kurt a big smooch.

"Not THAT together, you silly."

Sebastian mock pouted.

Kurt laughed at him. "Just hold my hand or something. Dance with me. I don't like being around drunk people. Too many bad memories."

"I can do that. I just like to go out dancing. I'll pick a classy place."

"Okay," Kurt said, then changed the subject. "When do your classes start in the fall?"

"The Wednesday before Labor Day. What about you?"

"The day after Labor Day."

"When will you be able to get into your dorm?"

"The Friday before my classes start. I'm going to fly in the day before and stay overnight in a hotel near campus and meet the guy my dad hired to drive my car with my stuff in it on Friday morning. That way I can get it unloaded and go get whatever else I might need, like a good book case."

"You know, you could come stay with us if you want. Where's your flight to?"

"Windsor Locks." Kurt pulled out his phone to look at a map.

"That's just 20 minutes north of Hartford. I could come get you and you could stay with us. We can drive to New Haven the next morning and I can help you with your stuff and a bookcase would fit in my Navigator easier than your car."

"That sounds a lot better than a night in a hotel alone."

"And of course, if you get bored here in Paris, you could always come earlier," he teased.

"Of course," Sebastian laughed.

They were quiet when they entered the apartment and got ready as quietly as they could so they wouldn't wake Lisette up. They got into bed. Kurt was the first to ask a question, but he didn't get an answer because Sebastian had fallen asleep so quickly.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

When Kurt woke up, he couldn't find Sebastian. He went into the kitchen to start some coffee and found a note on the coffee maker.

-Be back soon. Went to get lunch. I left my laptop on the table so you can save your photos to a DVD again.-

Kurt looked at the time. It was already 11:00. He got dressed and used Sebastian's laptop. He decided to send Carole a few pictures in an email since he didn't want to wake her up early by texting her. He had called a few times at night while Sebastian was in the shower, but he hadn't sent any photos yet.

Sebastian came back a few minutes later with bags of groceries. Kurt got up and grabbed some of them from him and carried them to the kitchen.

" _This looks like a lot more than lunch. I thought you meant you went to get carryout somewhere._ "

" _That's boring. I thought we'd cook again. Nothing as fancy this time, but still we've only cooked the once._ " Kurt helped him unload the bags and started washing all of the vegetables and fruits and then dried them off and put them off to the side.

They spent the next hour slicing, dicing, chopping and mincing, while talking.

" _Thanks for leaving your laptop out for me. I sent Carole a few photos._ "

" _You're welcome. I'm sure she'll love it. The way you talk about her makes her seem very sweet._ "

" _Oh, she is. She's really wonderful. She and I hit it off long before she and Dad got married. I gave her a complete makeover. I also planned their wedding. She and I get along really well. Of course, I'll always wish my mom was around, but Carole is a keeper._ "

" _Oh, I almost forgot. While I was out, my mom texted me saying not to plan anything for this weekend._ "

" _Did she say why?_ "

" _Nope._ "

" _Well, then I think our free, laze-around day just turned into laundry day. After we eat, we can work on it._ "

" _Probably a good idea. I'm sure she'll tell us when she gets home. I know that you still have the Louvre and the Opera House on your must see list. Do you want to do one of those tomorrow?_ "

" _I think the Opera House. Since we're going out tonight, we won't want to get up super early and I think I'd like to be at the Louvre when it opens since we're just going to spend one day there. We've been so many places already, but it feels like there's enough things to see and do here to last forever._ "

" _That's probably true. There are centuries of history here._ "

Sebastian pulled his phone out to check the hours at the Louvre. " _It looks like there are late hours on Wednesday and Fridays, 9:00-9:45, closed on Tuesdays._ "

" _Okay, then let's go on Wednesday. I'm not sure that I will want to stay for 12 hours, but just in case._ "

" _I need to find out when my mom has that appointment set for you to see the financial advisor._ " Sebastian texted his mom. He stirred the soup while waiting for her reply. " _This is done. Can you get some bowls out?_ "

Kurt got out soup bowls and salad bowls out. He handed the soup bowls to Sebastian. Kurt dished out their salads and went and put them on the table. He plated some cut fruit, sliced up some cheese and the fresh bread that Sebastian had brought back with him and put it on the plate with the cheese. He carried it to the table and sat down. Sebastian brought out their bowls of soup.

Sebastian's phone dinged. " _Mom says the appointment is Thursday._ "

" _Oh. Well, that will work out then. Louvre on Wednesday. Financial appointment on Thursday. That reminds me. We should go out to the bank today so I can pay you back for the stuff I bought at Disney last night and to get some more cash._ "

" _We can do that_."

" _Will anyone bother our laundry if we leave it unattended?_ "

" _Probably better not to._ "

 _So, bank before or after laundry then?_ "

" _After. The machines get more use later in the day. We won't have to wait if we do it after we eat._ "

" _I could stay up here and wash the dishes and clean the kitchen while you go down and start the laundry. We could get it started sooner that way._ "

" _Good plan._ "

They enjoyed their lunch. Sebastian grabbed the laundry and headed downstairs and Kurt cleaned the kitchen and packed up the leftover food. Once he was done, he grabbed a few magazines off the coffee table and headed downstairs. He sat down next to Sebastian and offered him a magazine. They sat and read and talked. They took the laundry up, hung it up and headed out to the bank. They decided to stop by the small museum on their way back.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Lisette was home when they got back. " _Good evening, boys. Did you enjoy your lazy day?_ "

" _Well, we cooked, did laundry, went to the bank, and a museum. It was a little less lazy than I had thought it would be since you told us to cancel our weekend plans._ "

" _About that. Amélie and Lucien will be joining us along with my parents and we're all going to take two 1-day trips. On Saturday, we're going to see the Loire Valley and a few castles. And on Sunday, we're going to Britany and Mont St. Michel. Saturday evening, Kurt's grandparents will return to my parent's to spend the night since they live much closer._ "

Kurt was silent.

" _Kurt?_ " Lisette looked concerned.

" _Yes? Yes, I'm fine. It's just that you've already done so much for me. It sounds wonderful. I'm sure it will be utterly beautiful. I still sort of feel like this is a dream._ "

"Well, come help me make dinner. Tonight, you're Cinderfella, not Rip Van Winkle," Sebastian teased. "Chop, chop," he said as he lightly pushed Kurt into the kitchen.

"What are we making?"

"Well, we have all of those vegetable chopped up from earlier. I say we make a fast stir fry, a fruit and cheese plate, with bread of course."

"It's a good thing we walk so much. I never eat this much bread at home. Then again, the bread at home isn't nearly as good as it is here. French bread is definitely worth the extra calories."

Kurt sliced the fruit, cheese and bread and plated it while Sebastian quickly stir fried the veggies with some chicken. Fifteen minutes later, the two of them put the food on the table.

" _I need to keep you boys around. Dinner is so much better when you're home and cook for me,_ " she teased.

" _I'm taking Kurt out to a club tonight. We'll be back after you've gone to bed. We're not going to drink. I just want to take him out dancing. The only place he's ever been is a gay bar in West Lima._ "

" _Good God, that must have been dreadful._ "

" _It definitely was,_ " Kurt said rather dryly.

After they finished eating, Lisette said, " _You boys go ahead and have fun doing something else. Dinner was delicious. I'll clean this up. You cooked, I'll clean._ "

" _Thanks, Mom._ "

" _Yes, thank you,_ " Kurt added.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They went into Sebastian's room and Sebastian looked through their clothes and chose an outfit for himself and for Kurt. He hung them on his desk chair.

He grabbed a book off his shelf and plopped down on his bed. Kurt looked through Sebastian's books and took one down. It was actually a kid's chapter book, _Fantômette_. It looked like something similar to a Nancy Drew book. And he could probably finish it before they left for the club. Sebastian glanced up when Kurt sat down on the bed. " _Those were my mom's favorites._ " They spent the next couple of hours reading.

After they had changed to go out to the club, Kurt was sitting on the bed lacing up his boots. Sebastian asked, " _Something happened at Scandals that night besides me being annoying, didn't it?_ "

" _Yeah, but I'm not sure that I can tell you. I've only ever told Sam. And you're not the person I thought you were that night. And I was so mad at that version of you that it's hard to tell you - the you I know now - what happened._ "

" _That sounds ominous._ "

" _I blamed you for a long time, but it was never your fault. You were just a convenient scapegoat in my mind. I don't blame you anymore, but if I tell you, you may blame yourself and I don't want that._ "

" _Could you be any more cryptic?_ "

" _Possibly._ "

" _Well, I'm glad that you don't blame me anymore. I can't say that I won't blame myself since I have no idea what happened. But I do hope that, by now, you've learned to trust me._ "

" _I have. But it's hard. I never even told Sam until that day I called you asking about the slushie incident. I asked you if I could tell him about that and I told him everything else that day as well. There were a lot of tears and it ended with Sam saying that the only reason Blaine wasn't headed for casket was because I had made Sam promise me not to go after him._ "

" _Okay. I won't ask again, but if you ever want to tell me, you can be certain that I won't tell anyone else. I know what it's like to have personal details about things known by people that you would have never told willingly._ "

Kurt and Sebastian left the apartment to go to the club. While they were making their way to the club, Sebastian covered a couple of rules with Kurt.

"When we're in the club, don't go anywhere without me, especially the bathroom. Your French is perfect, but you do not know the Parisian slang for a lot of things and I don't want you to end up agreeing to something that you actually had no idea you were consenting to. Secondly, do not drink anything that anyone but me gives you. I'll buy bottled water directly from the bar and split it with you or buy you your own bottle. Drink whatever you can at the time, but throw the bottle out when you're done drinking. Do not redrink from the bottle."

"Okay, Sebastian, you're kind of scaring me," Kurt stopped walking and looked really concerned.

"Just stay with me, okay? This can be a lot of fun, but I don't want to risk anything happening to you."

"Okay. You're my date. You're my 'boyfriend' for the evening, so if anyone asks, just say 'yes'."

Sebastian agreed. "I'm not looking to hook up. I never have. I've told you that, but I know that the image of me being a player is hard to get out of your mind because it was there for so long. You and I are friends now. I just want to have fun and dance. I know you like to dance."

"I do. I wasn't even thinking of you hooking up. And just so you know, I don't see you that way anymore. I was thinking of me being alone." Kurt paused. "I'm just nervous," he said trying to downplay just how much Sebastian was scaring him.

"Honestly, if at any point, you aren't having fun, we'll leave. No questions asked," Sebastian reassured him.

"Thanks."

They waited in line and eventually got into the club. They went to the lower level dance area. It was a lot like what Kurt had envisioned a disco club would be like. Strobe lighting at times, spotlights that panned through the crowd changing colors, loud music and lots of people. They danced together and were having a good time, and Kurt was starting to relax some until a guy came up from behind and attempted to start feeling him up while dancing with him. Sebastian pulled him close and turned to block the other guy from touching Kurt, but then he just turned his attention on Sebastian.

" _Not interested, man. Find someone else,_ " Sebastian said to the guy. He didn't take the blatant brush off and tried to get between them. Sebastian turned Kurt so that Kurt's back was up against Sebastian's chest then he put his hands on Kurt's hips and propelled him through the crowd to the other side of the room.

Kurt turned back to face him and leaned in and thanked him. They went back to dancing. Not long after that, "Single Ladies" started to play and Kurt got Sebastian to try the dance with him. Kurt's hips drew the attention of several guys in the area, but Sebastian stepped in behind him and didn't allow any of them to touch Kurt. Kurt finally started to really enjoy himself and let go and gained some confidence and was able to fend for himself. After a while, they stopped dancing and went to the bar to get some water. Sebastian made a point of opening Kurt's water to make sure that it was actually a new, sealed bottle before he gave it to him.

About an hour later, Kurt let Sebastian know that he was ready to leave.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Once they got outside where they could talk, he said, " _I don't want to be too tired to enjoy our excursion tomorrow."_

" _It's fine. I hope you had a little fun. I used to have a lot of fun going out. Not that I didn't have a good time with you tonight, but looking back I think that some of it was because there was a group of us that went out together. Strength in numbers, I suppose. No one really felt intimidated. I wouldn't go out alone._ "

" _It was definitely an experience. I'd probably be willing to try out different places and see if there are any where I'd be really comfortable. I think my big issue is that I just don't really enjoy myself around drunk people. I'm on edge too much._ "

" _Bad experiences leave their marks,_ " Sebastian stated sadly.

Hoping that fewer people could understand, Kurt switched to English, "That night at Scandals wasn't my first experience with alcohol, but it was a logistical nightmare. My first experience with Blaine and alcohol was back when we were both at Dalton. Blaine got drunk, made out with Rachel, couldn't drive back home or to Dalton and he ended up sleeping in my bed passed out drunk and my father found him there the next morning, which resulted in my being given an 'inappropriate behavior in my house' speech followed by the implementation of the 'open door' policy."

Kurt paused and refocused the story. "The plan for that night at Scandals with you was that he would pick me up in his car, which was his mom's old Volvo wagon, and he'd drop me back off at home afterwards. My Navigator was in the shop waiting for a part I needed."

"So, you being the designated driver all the time was correct because you don't drink, but Blaine wasn't supposed to get drunk that night either?"

"Correct. He drove us there. It was a school night for us as well and the next day was the opening night of the play. Somehow he managed to drink more than just the one beer you gave him, at least based on the way he was behaving."

Sebastian nodded. "Is that the reason you blamed me?"

"Not exactly. Him drinking was his choice. He could have just had half of the beer you gave him or maybe even the whole thing. But he chose to drink more and make it impossible for him to drive. Then he stormed off walking away from me when we were in the parking lot. So, I was left with his car and his keys and he took off. Obviously too drunk to realize that he wasn't going to be able to get into his house once he managed to walk there, if he managed to."

"What did you do?"

"I was trying to figure out what I was going to do when David came out. I asked him to follow me to Blaine's. We found Blaine walking on the way there, so at least he still had some sense of which direction to walk. David helped me get him in the car and then followed me. I opened his front door and I put his keys back in his pocket and just left him there in his living room on his couch. David drove me back to my house."

"Go on."

"I didn't want anything to slip to my dad and David helped me without asking questions. Plus, he was afraid of my dad after the bullying issues and I knew he wouldn't go tell my dad that I had been at a bar. By then I had realized what a stupid thing it was for me to go there with you. My dad was running for Congress. If I had been caught there, it could have really hurt his chances. It really freaked me out when Blaine stormed off. I was sitting in the car thinking of all of the bad things that could happen and the press finding out I was in a bar was one of them amongst a long list of bad possibilities. Fortunately, none of them happened."

"Why did he storm off? There's more to this. You would have just had Sam come get you if there wasn't more to what happened."

"Sam hadn't moved back to Ohio a that point," Kurt answered. Kurt made the decision to share the details of the evening and the following evening and why he had blamed Sebastian at the time and what turned out to be Blaine's real source of inspiration.

They had arrived at Sebastian's by the time Kurt had finished explaining. Sebastian let them into the building and then pulled Kurt into a bear hug. "You deserved better than that." He just held Kurt tight and Kurt hugged him back. "I deserved better too," Sebastian said quietly, as the elevator opened and they got in.

They each showered and they got in bed. Sebastian asked, "Will you sit up? I want to tell you something." Sebastian shared what had actually happened at the party. Kurt just held Sebastian and let him cry. He was sobbing too.

"No one deserves that, Sebastian. I hope you don't blame yourself for any of it."

"I actually did at first. Being exiled to rural Ohio felt exactly like a punishment. Everyone I loved was here and I was being sent away. It took quite a bit of counseling before I could understand my parents' point of view. They had no way of knowing whether any of my friends knew what was happening. They couldn't find out either. They felt the only way to keep me safe was for me to leave."

"Hearing your story helps me understand why your dad sent his housekeeper out to buy your clothes and why he got you such an unremarkable car. He was trying to keep you from being singled out when you were away from Dalton. You had been hurt already. He thought making you fit in with the locals would keep you safer and keep you from being targeted like I was."

"I didn't really think about it that way at first. It felt more like he didn't want me to be myself, like having to dress in those clothes was another sort of punishment."

"I can see that. You had been through so much. It seems like your dad found a good counselor for you, though."

"Yeah. The counseling made a big difference, especially after I finally moved past the anger stage. That's where I was when we met. I had been in counseling for about three months by then. I was angry to see how Blaine treated you. Even looking back, I don't know how I could have attempted to get you to see it sooner. Not being able to do anything made me even angrier. I said mean things to you, which was so wrong. And that and the slushie thing are my two biggest regrets. Neither one led you to see what he was doing and they both hurt you."

"I know you regret those things. I already forgave you."

"I totally see why you would have been so angry with me for what happened that night. You were trying to hold onto him by any means possible because you thought he'd choose me over you. And for that, I am really sorry. The last thing I wanted was for you to get even more hurt. I know that you know now that he was out to do whatever it took to keep up his end of the pact and be a better Tony. But at the time, you had no idea about that and I can see the situation from your point of view now that I know the rest of what happened that night and the next."

"This is why I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want you to take more blame for something you had no control over. His motivations were his own. He chose to drink when he knew better and he chose to be part of a reprehensible pact with Rachel."

"This started from you asking me if I blamed myself for what happened. I did at first, but I don't anymore - for the very same reasons you just said. Jacques choose to do what he did to me. I did not ask him to. I did not want him to. He chose to do it anyway. It wasn't my fault."

"I'm glad you could get to that point," Kurt gave him a shoulder squeeze and then slipped down into the bed to go to sleep.

"I'm glad you did too." Sebastian lay down and went to sleep as well.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next morning, Kurt surprised Sebastian with breakfast in bed. He had made croques madames, with juice and coffee.

Sebastian was groggy, "What's this?"

"Now, who's Rip Van Winkle? It's breakfast, silly."

Sebastian pulled himself to sitting and took the tray of food from Kurt. "Thanks, this looks great."

They ate, and afterwards, Sebastian got ready while Kurt washed and dried the breakfast dishes.

"So, today we're off to the Opera house and La Madeleine?" Sebastian asked.

"Yes. I'd love to hear the organ in the church. Maybe someone will be playing it today."

They took the bus to La Madeleine and toured the massive church. Kurt was happily surprised that someone was playing the organ. Not for a service or anything, but just seemed to be practicing. Perhaps, a music student at one of the schools in Paris. Whoever he was, he was a magnificent organist and the two of them just sat and listened to him play through the rest of his pieces. Kurt was mesmerized by the sculptures, the paintings, the columns, the dome, just so much craftsmanship. They finished touring the interior and headed back out.

Next, they walked through the area looking in shops and just enjoying the late morning.

" _Are you hungry yet? We could have an early lunch or we can wait until later, but it will get more crowded._ "

" _Let's just get something light for now,_ " Kurt answered.

" _I have an idea,_ " Sebastian said. " _This way._ " Sebastian took Kurt to Fouchon. " _This place has the best chocolate. How about we break our healthy habits just for the day and we indulge ourselves?_ "

Kurt looked around at the chocolates. " _I think that's a great idea._ "

They bought some cheese and chocolate and enjoyed their choices. They walked to the Opera house.

Kurt was overwhelmed by the amazing building. " _This place is just like a fairy tale,_ " Kurt said as they entered the foyer. " _Spectacular._ " Kurt stood looking up in amazement. They toured the building and he just fell in love with the place. " _How fantastic must it be to perform here?_ " After seeing all of the parts of the building that he wanted to see, they left and went back outside.

" _I know it might seem kind of weird, but I'd like to go to Paris Story. I know we've seen quite a few places that it highlights, but I still want to go. You won't be completely bored will you? You could always sit outside and read if you don't want to come in._ "

" _I'll go with you. There has to be something I don't know already, doesn't there?_ " he teased as he nudged Kurt. " _Let's go._ " They went in and watched the one-hour presentation. Afterwards, Sebastian said, " _That was actually pretty cool._ "

" _Do you think your mom would be up for shopping when she gets off in a bit? I've been thinking about what I'd like to get for Dad and Carole. With the two of them spending a lot of time in DC and having to attend dressy events, I'd like to get them trench coats. Something that would look nice to wear to these events without spending a small fortune._ "

" _Let me text her and see if she has plans._ " They walked toward the nearest bench and just sat and relaxed for a few minutes waiting for Lisette to answer. " _She says that she knows just the place, if you have their sizes and a photo would be helpful too so she can get an idea of their body types._ "

" _Sounds great. Where should we meet her?_ " Sebastian texted and got an answer. " _Let's go get on the Metro and head toward where she said to go._ "

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After a short ride, they got off and found Lisette. They went in the store and she helped Kurt find what he was looking for. The store was having a huge sale before their typical July sale and he found two black trench coats that he thought would look good on his parents. " _I think they'll like these a lot and they'll get a lot of use. My dad has to attend a lot of black tie events these days and frequently it's raining and neither one of them had anything suitable for those types of days. Thanks for helping me._ "

" _You're welcome. I have something for you in the car as well. Are you ready to head home?_ "

" _Yes. We've played tourist all day today. We're ready to relax for the evening._ " Sebastian and Kurt climbed into the backseat of the car and shut the doors.

Lisette pulled out her phone and placed a call before she got in. On the way home, she stopped at a restaurant and Sebastian went in to pick up the order she had placed. Sebastian carried the food up, Lisette opened the trunk and pulled out a garment bag, and Kurt grabbed the bag with the trench coats in it.

Once they were upstairs, Kurt hung the trench coats up to keep them as wrinkle-free as possible. Sebastian grabbed plates and plated their dinner and put it on the table. Three of them enjoyed the pasta dishes that Lisette had chosen. They discussed their itinerary for the next two days while they ate.

After they finished eating, Lisette asked Sebastian to clear the table and get started on washing the dishes and she took Kurt over to where she had laid the garment bag. She opened it and Kurt gasped. " _That's the Burberry Prorsum winter trench coat from the fall line last year._ "

" _Correct. And now it's yours._ "

" _I can't. That's like a $3000 coat._ "

" _You didn't pay for it and neither did I. It's a gift. Please take it._ "

Kurt put it on and went and showed Sebastian. He wolf whistled. " _Nice. Very nice._ " He went to look in the bathroom mirror and came back a few minutes later.

" _Please accept it. It looks really good on you. But if you really don't want it, I'll take it back and put it back in storage until someone else wants it and takes it._ "

" _You've twisted my arm,_ " he laughed. " _It's fantastic. Thank you._ " He moved to where Lisette was standing and offered her a hug, which she readily accepted.

" _I think you're going to need a second suitcase to put your new things in on the way home,_ " Sebastian said as he came into the room.

" _I came with the one I had half full, but I think you're right. With choosing to get the trench coats, I think I'm going to need more room._ "

Lisette responded. " _We'll find one next week. Let's head to bed early. We're leaving early in the morning._ "

Sebastian used his computer to burn his photos to a DVD so he'd have more room for new photos during their trip the next day. Kurt showered, then used it as well.

" _I'm too hyped to sleep,_ " Kurt said excitedly. " _This weekend is going to be so cool._ "

" _Turn over,_ " Sebastian said as he nudged Kurt to roll over onto his stomach. Sebastian sat up. " _Will you let me give you a massage? I know you're not all that comfortable letting people touch you._ "

" _That would be amazing. It's fine. I trust you._ "

Sebastian got up and turned on some quiet classical music and got back in the bed, sat on the edge of the bed, and rubbed Kurt's shoulders. It didn't take long at all for Kurt to relax and fall asleep.

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Sebastian's grandparents, Èduard and Charlotte, were waiting at the train station when the three of them arrived.

Èduard was the same height as Kurt with short straight, dark brown hair that was graying. He had hazel eyes and light skin. He was quite athletic for a man his age. Charlotte had thick, wavy, medium brown hair like Lisette, but it was cut short and layered. She was also graying, but leaving it natural. She was fair skinned. She had green eyes, like Lisette and Sebastian. She was the same height as Kurt's grandma, had an average build and was also quite fit for a woman her age.

Each of them pulled Kurt into a big bear hug and Charlotte kissed him on both cheeks after her hug. " _We're so glad to meet you, Kurt. Sebastian told us all about you when he first came home._ "

" _It's a pleasure to meet both of you as well,_ " he said smiling.

" _Please call us Mamie and Papi. It's what Sebastian calls us._ "

" _Alright. I will,_ " Kurt said.

Kurt turned to Sebastian and quietly said, "I see where the hugging comes from," and laughed. Sebastian just nudged him and smiled.

A few minutes later, Kurt's grandparents arrived as well. There were greetings in all directions. Not long after that, they boarded the train for the Loire Valley.

Chenonceau, Amboise, Chambord and Cheverny were beyond fantastic. Kurt's eyes never returned to their normal size all day. Charlotte enjoyed spending time with Amélie. Lucien got along well with Èduard. The seven of them enjoyed the fantastic weather and the amazing tours of the castles. The four grandparents made frequent stops and just to sit and talk while Kurt and Sebastian did more exploring. Lisette went with the boys sometimes and other times she stayed and rested. They ate dinner on the train ride back to Paris. Charlotte and Èduard had a car waiting to take Kurt's grandparents home with them for the night.

They met super early the next morning. The high-speed train felt like something out of the movies. It went over 100 miles an hour. Kurt and Sebastian were standing and looking out the window. Everything passed by so quickly and it all felt like a dream. Kurt began humming "Once Upon a Dream" and Sebastian started laughing.

Amélie asked, " _What are you two laughing about?_ "

" _Kurt was humming a Disney song._ "

" _Sing it for us?_ " Amélie asked persuasively.

" _Won't it bother people? I don't want to cause a problem,_ " Kurt said.

" _Just sing. People like music,_ " she encouraged him.

" _Sing with me?_ " he asked Sebastian.

" _Okay._ "

"I know you. I walked with you once upon a dream..." Kurt started.

After the song was over, Amélie said, " _Kurt, dear,_ " as she put her hand on his shoulder, " _that was lovely. I really want to arrange for you to sing for us somehow._ "

Lisette spoke up, " _If you wouldn't mind spending another night at my parents, I'm sure that I can arrange for a Kurt concert late tomorrow afternoon. Or you could go home this evening and come back tomorrow. I could arrange for a car to pick you up. You can think about it and we can work it out later._ " She got her phone out and started texting someone.

It took less than two and a half hours to get to their destination, which was the town of St. Malo. The town was like stepping into a living history book. The architecture was medieval and the streets were cobblestone. They went for a walk along the beach. Their next stop was Mont St. Michel and the final stop was Dinan. Kurt felt like he had walked onto an elaborate set for Beauty and the Beast. The shops and flower stalls and the atmosphere made him feel like he should break out singing.

He looked over at Sebastian as the walked through the town. " _You feel it too, don't you?_ "

Sebastian smiled and started humming Belle's song from the beginning of the movie.

" _I knew it._ "

The day was a lot of fun and they arrived back in Paris after 10:00pm. Kurt's grandparents opted to spend the night with Sebastian's grandparents again. Kurt and Sebastian planned to head over after breakfast the next morning.


	13. Chapter 13

After a quick breakfast, Kurt and Sebastian took the Metro to the closest stop to Mamie and Papi's, went shopping for lunch ingredients and then took a taxi the rest of the way to their place. They worked together and prepared their grandparents a 3-course lunch just for the enjoyment of cooking together for their families.

While preparing lunch, Kurt got a text from Lisette asking him to provide a list of 20 songs that he could sing. Kurt was surprised - 20 songs? He started typing out responses and Sebastian found him looking perplexed, staring at his phone.

" _What's up_?"

" _You'll find out, I guess. I think it's supposed to be a surprise._ "

Kurt managed to come up with the list in about 30 minutes in between chopping vegetables. He got a text back thanking him and Lisette asked him if a guitarist would be good enough for the evening. He said that it would be. No impromptu concert would be perfect, but he'd do the best he could.

The two of them served lunch and their grandparents were impressed with their culinary skills. They also noticed how well the boys worked together and how much they enjoyed each other's company.

Lisette texted Sebastian about an hour later with a location and told him to bring everyone there at 6:00. There was a church nearby that was willing to allow them to use a small chapel for the evening.

The six of them spent the afternoon talking. The four grandparents told stories of growing up in France. Kurt enjoyed listening to both sets of grandparents tell stories. Sebastian had heard a lot of the stories that his grandparents told, but he enjoyed hearing them again in addition to hearing Kurt's grandparents' stories. Sebastian and Kurt told a few stories about themselves as children, but mostly they just listened to their grandparents. Sebastian spent a lot of the time paying attention to how fascinated Kurt was with their stories. Kurt's childhood was so different from everyone else's.

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About 5:30, Kurt and Sebastian loaded Kurt's grandparent's suitcase into Sebastian's grandparent's car. Kurt and Sebastian walked to the church and their grandparents left about ten minutes later, driving. Lisette was there when they got there. She introduced Kurt to Georges, who was the son of a friend. He had studied music and was a guitar teacher. Georges and Kurt went inside the chapel for about ten minutes while everyone else waited outside. Georges noted the key that Kurt wanted to sing each song in and they ordered the 12 songs that they had decided would work the best as acoustic songs.

Everyone came in once they were ready and closed the door behind them. Kurt stood at the front with Georges. " _I hope you all enjoy the songs I've chosen._ " Georges started an intro to "I Want to Hold Your Hand". Kurt sang through the list that included "I'm the Greatest Star", "As if We Never Said Goodbye", "Being Alive", "Bring Him Home", "Defying Gravity", "Not the Boy Next Door" and 5 other more classical songs that he had worked on with his voice teacher. He alternated between the show tunes and the classical pieces.

" _For my last song, I'd like for Sebastian to sing with me._ " Sebastian looked surprised. But he got up and moved to stand near Kurt. Kurt leaned over and whispered very quietly and Sebastian nodded and laughed. " _I've chosen this song because we have both come to realize what big Disney nerds we both are and because this song seems to perfectly describe my last two weeks here with Sebastian as my personal Parisian tour guide._ "

Sebastian started, "I can show you the world. Shining shimmering, splendid. Tell me Kurt, now when did you last let your heart decide? I can open your eyes, take you wonder, by wonder. Over, sideways and under on a magic carpet ride. A whole new world. A new fantastic point of view. No one to tells us 'no' or where to go or say we're only dreaming."

"A whole new world... now I'm in a whole new world with you."

Everyone smiled as they sang together. When they were done, they bowed deeply and Sebastian went and sat back down. Kurt turned to the guitarist and pointed to him, indicating for him to take a bow and everyone clapped for him.

Kurt turned to personally thank Georges. " _Thank you so much. You were great. You helped make this trip really special for me allowing me to perform for my grandparents._ " He and Georges shook hands. Kurt walked over to where his grandparents were standing and gave them both hugs.

" _Kurt, that was just lovely. You have a beautiful voice. Never let anyone tell you any different. I'm so glad we got to hear you in person._ " Amélie said.

And not to be left out, Sebastian's grandparents hugged him too.

" _Sebastian said that you have a lovely voice. He was right,_ " Charlotte added.

They heard the door open at the back and they all moved to leave to let the custodian lock up for the night. " _Thank you_ ," several of them said as they passed through the door that he held open for them.

There was a car waiting to take Kurt's grandparents back home. The driver transferred their luggage and they left. Sebastian's grandparents left as well. Kurt and Sebastian got into Lisette's car after everyone had gone.

Lisette spoke after they had gotten in. " _Kurt that was just lovely._ "

" _Thank you. It means so much to me that you set that up. I had only imagined ever getting to sing like that for them._ "

" _You're welcome._ "

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Dinner that night was a simple affair of sandwiches and raw vegetables. After eating and cleaning up the kitchen, Kurt and Sebastian got ready for bed early. They had had a very busy three days.

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After their showers, they shut the door to the room and just climbed in bed to talk and relax.

"Maybe we should get queen sized beds for the apartment. It might make the bedroom a little tight, but then we'll have more room for people to sleepover. Or maybe we should stick with the twin sized beds and put trundles under them."

"Either would work, I guess. Does the apartment website give the dimensions of the bedroom?"

"Yeah, I put them into that program I showed you. You just made me think of something. He opened the app up. I could try out both sizes in the room with desks and see if queen sized beds would fit."

Sebastian reached for the phone to look more closely. "This is a really cool app. It's like one of those Facebook games, but actually useful."

"I'm going to look at bookcases on your Ikea app," Sebastian said. "I'd like a nice one or maybe a couple for my dorm room."

"Okay. I'm not really tired, even though I should be. You look at that and I'm going to iron those shirts that have been sitting there since Friday."

"So, what do you want to do tomorrow?"

"I was thinking maybe we could just hang out around here. Maybe walk through the park again like we did when I got here. I think I'm approaching overload and I really want to enjoy the Louvre on Wednesday."

"Okay. When does your lease start on your apartment?"

"July 1st, but we've been planning to go the following weekend. When does that two-week thing you're doing at Yale end?"

"June 30th."

"So, you'll leave before we get there."

"Yeah, it seems so," Sebastian said gloomily. His mood changed quickly as he changed the subject. "You did a great job tonight."

"Thanks. I've done better with all of those songs before, but for a last-minute idea with only a guitarist I'd never met, I think it came out okay."

"I think I liked 'Not The Boy Next Door' the best. It's like your life story."

"That's actually what I sang for my NYADA audition. I had the gold lamé pants and everything."

"Do you have a video of that?"

"I don't think so. I probably deleted it off my phone to make space for more photos. I could probably download it through iCloud to your laptop if you want."

"I'll get my laptop out." Kurt continued ironing. Once Sebastian had the computer ready, Kurt signed in and clicked on the video.

"No wonder you got in. That's hot. It's a tie between that and 'Le Jazz Hot' for my favorite videos of you." Kurt blushed and went back to the ironing. "Can I download these other videos of you singing?"

"Sure. Download all of them and burn them to two DVDs and I'll give my grandparents one before I go. I'm not sure whether I sent all of the videos to them. This way they will be able to watch them more easily."

"I'm pretty sure that my mom recorded you singing tonight. So, I can burn that to a CD tomorrow. And I'll do a DVD for your grandparents tomorrow. I need to use my mom's desktop for that, now that I think about it. "Come on, leave the ironing, if there's any left. I'll give you another massage if you'll just get back in bed."

Kurt turned the iron off, then he turned the lights off and climbed into bed.

"Why have you been getting more tense the past few days?"

Kurt thought for a few minutes. "I had hoped you hadn't noticed. It's because I don't want to leave. Being here is so amazing. Everything here with you and my family and your family is so peaceful. There's been zero drama. I've never lived a drama-free life."

"Do you want me to give you a massage?"

"Please?"

Sebastian went around to Kurt's side of the bed, sat on the edge and rubbed Kurt's shoulders and he relaxed some, but didn't fall asleep. Sebastian moved to his side and lay back down on the bed next to him.

Kurt turned onto his side and faced Sebastian and quietly said, "I'm going to miss you."

"Me too."

Kurt took a deep breath and decided to tell Sebastian how he felt. "I've wanted to ask you if you wanted to date so many times over the last couple of weeks, but then I think maybe I'm imagining things and you are just more open and tactile than I am and I'm just reading into how you feel about me."

"I may be more apt to give hugs, but I'm just as afraid of letting people close to me as you are. And I do find you incredibly attractive, both physically and as a human being. I just never wanted you to think that you owed me something. I didn't want you to feel obligated to like me because I brought you here. That's what's kept me from saying anything."

"So, you do like me? As in would you want to date me?"

"Definitely."

Kurt took his hand and squeezed it. "We'll that makes two of us then."

"I want to make sure that we are agreeing to the same thing. In France, we don't date casually in general. There isn't even a good word in French that means the same thing as 'date' in English. People are either friends and go out in groups casually or they do what Americans call dating 'exclusively'. So, for me, dating means an exclusive relationship. Not a 'let's see how this goes' kind of thing. It's a 'I really like you and I want to make this work between us' thing. Let's sit up."

They moved and leaned against the headboard.

"When I started counseling last summer, I quickly learned some differences in French and American dating and relationships. Americans treat relationships much less seriously in a way. Maybe 'seriously' is a bad descriptor. Less 'long term' I guess might be better. In the states, introducing someone to your parents is the type of thing that happens before serious dating begins most of the time it seems. It's not that way in France. French teens date in groups and one-on-one sometimes and don't really involve their families in what's going on until after the relationship has reached an adult level of seriousness, for lack of a better way to describe it - until they've decided that the relationship is a 'long term' possibility."

"So, your mom didn't know about you seeing Jacques in a one-on-one dating situation."

"Right. So, when things were going downhill, I didn't talk to her about it. I just kept everything to myself. When I started seeing the counselor, I realized that if I had been open with my mom about what was happening, I would have gotten input on how dysfunctional my relationship with him was. But honestly, I had never lived with two people who were in a relationship. I mean, of course, I saw my grandparents, but I never talked about that type of thing with them. Through the counseling, I realized that for my mom to remain part of my life during my exile to America, that I was going to actually have to talk to her about my life and my feelings. I would have to be open and willing to share, since I'd only be able to talk to her on the phone mostly and sometimes on Skype."

"So, the counseling helped you to open up to your mom more."

"She and I hadn't had a lot of heart-to-hearts because honestly I was a laid back, geeky kid who read books, went to museums, and took voice and dance lessons. I didn't run around with a rowdy crowd. Occasionally we went out dancing like I said, but I didn't get drunk or get bad grades. I didn't get in trouble. My mom really didn't have a lot of reason to sit me down and talk to me. I was the opposite of the greasy wheel. Easy to ignore. And I don't mean that she neglected me because she didn't. She had met my friends. We always got along well and she was always very respectful of me. We ate dinner together. We didn't have in depth conversations about relationships or having a boyfriend. We talked about art, history, current events and other impersonal things."

"Sounds similar to me. I told you I spent a lot of time in the employee's lounge at my dad's shop watching videos and reading books. When I got older, I stayed home alone. No one had to watch me to keep me out of trouble. My dad checked on me. But he and I didn't have in-depth talks about relationships or friendships or anything. But I consider him to have been a good dad. What you said didn't lower my opinion of your mom."

"Good. She was devastated when she found out what had happened to me. She felt like she had let me down, like she didn't do her job right. She decided that from then on, she wanted to at least know about the guys I wanted to date. And as hurt as I had been from what had happened to me, I thought it was a reasonable request."

"So, did you tell her about me?"

"Well, she's known that I've had a crush on you since November. I didn't get the hang of being more open until I had been in counseling for a while, but I did start sharing more and more with her. I told her about all of it after the slushie incident and Dave's attempt. I couldn't keep it in. I felt so bad that I broke down on the phone with her"

"You mean she knows all of that stuff?"

"She knows all of the stuff that I did. I didn't tell her details about you and Blaine. I mean she knows what I thought about your relationship, but she doesn't know any personal details. She knows that you broke up with Blaine, but nothing else. I called her the day I found out and I told her that I was going to try to make amends with you and at least tell you how sorry I was."

"I had no idea that she knew."

"Yes. You have no idea how happy she was when I told her about how you had forgiven me after being such an ass to you. When I told her that you had agreed to come home with me this summer, she was so excited. I told her about your mom and that your grandparents live here and their names, but nothing else that you shared with me."

"Back to what I was asking when I wanted to know if you would date me. I think we both want the same thing. To share affection with each other freely, but exclusively. No pressuring each other, no manipulation, no hidden agendas," Kurt said.

"So, for you this is as serious as it is for me? For me, this is 'Let's make this work, I'm in it for the long haul'. A French scenario of exclusive, long-term being in a relationship."

"Exactly. I don't do things halfway. I'm all in or not at all. So, what are you comfortable with? Handholding? Hugging? Snuggling? Kissing? Which of these things are you okay with?" Kurt asked.

"All of those."

"Only privately or publicly as well?"

"Publicly. If we date, you are never going to be my 'dirty little secret'. I'm done with that. I won't date anyone in secret again. I would be proud to be your boyfriend and to be seen with you."

"I don't foresee anything but drama if we date openly in Lima. But my plan is to spend as little time there as possible."

"I'm not really concerned with how people you don't plan to include in your life view me. I do, of course, want your parents and Sam to like and trust me. And it would be good if Finn didn't hate me."

"Honestly, if we played a game of 'Who Knows Kurt Best?', only you and Sam would do well. Carole would come in third. My dad wouldn't do that well. I intentionally hid a lot of what happened to me from him. I couldn't bring myself to put him through what I went through. Honestly, him knowing would have just caused more problems. He would have been extremely stressed out and I would have just been more of a target if he tried to do something to change what was happening to me because then I would have been considered even more of a sissy for needing my 'daddy' to fight my battles. So, I kept him out of it as much as I could. Other than repairing cars and being decent people who treat other people decently, he and I have nothing in common. Carole knows more than my dad does. He doesn't actually know anything personal about you. I may have blackmailed Finn numerous times since we've been stepbrothers. He was forbidden to talk about the slushie incident. My dad was in DC when it happened."

"So, your dad doesn't harbor any ill will toward me?"

"Nope. All he knows is that you were a Warbler at Dalton, that we are friends and you wanted to take me to France. He's honestly been really busy learning the ins and outs of being a congressman and splitting his time between Ohio and DC. He knows I've been going to Dalton every Wednesday all year. So, I figure he just thinks we've been friends for a long time. Carole knows the whole story, but she would never blow your chance with my dad by telling him things that are no longer relevant or important. She knows I forgave your for your part in what happened and that's that. She's a really amazing mom. I got lucky twice in the mom department."

"Sounds like it."

"Our biggest hurdle will be Rachel. She and Finn are supposedly getting married this summer."

"Seriously?"

"She would be the most likely to blab to Dad about what you did. If I have to, I will tell her that if she brings up anything negative that you've done, that I will be sure that my dad finds out about Sunshine Corazon and Rachel's _West Side Story_ pact with Blaine. She and Puck are the only ones likely to actually spend any time at my house when Dad is around. And I got Puck a job he desperately needed. If I ask him to keep quiet about you, he will. Now that I've gotten a taste of living drama free, I have no intention of going back to the drama." Kurt scooted even closer to Sebastian.

"You shouldn't have to."

"I like being with you. I feel like I can just be myself with you and that myself is good enough, and that you enjoy being with me. But then these doubts keep creep into my mind."

Sebastian turned to face Kurt, even though it was dark in the room.

"Kurt, those doubts are just lies. Shadows of your past." He gently touched Kurt's cheek. "I like you. I do enjoy spending time with you."

Kurt smiled. Sebastian ran his thumb over Kurt's lips, which made Kurt smile even more.

"I spent a lot of time thinking while I was in Ohio. I thought about the kind of person I would want to be in my life, if I ever felt like I could try again. I wanted someone I could do anything and nothing with. Someone who would be willing to just try something for the fun of it and someone who could just be in the same room with me while I read, someone who didn't need to be entertained or constantly felt the need to entertain me or demand constant attention. Someone strong in who he was, but willing to learn and be open to new things too."

"I like the 'anything and nothing' part. I think we've gotten really good at that. That's what I was talking about when I said I can just be myself with you. I don't have to do something to keep you interested or occupied. We can just exist in the same space and be with each other."

Sebastian leaned back against the headboard again and they just sat quietly for a few minutes.

Kurt was thinking about everything and especially how many times Sebastian had said that seeing a counselor had helped him. "Are you going to continue seeing a counselor when you get to Connecticut? I've been thinking about going to one. We could go together too, if you want."

"I think that would be a good idea."

Sebastian's phone started ringing. "That's my dad's ringtone." He got out of bed to get it.

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"Hello?"

"It's okay. It's not quite 10:00 here. I was still awake."

"Oh." He said with a downcast tone. "Let me check. I didn't actually check my email today. I was with Mamie and Papi all day."

"That would have gone to my student account. Do you want to wait while I load that? Or I can call back after I read the messages."

"Okay. I'll call back."

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Sebastian switched to the browser on his phone and logged into his student email account. He saw the messages his dad was referring to and read the first one.

"What's up?" Kurt asked.

"Yale sent an email to me and to my dad about my housing and about that 2-week program I was going to."

"WAS going to?"

"It's been cancelled. The leader won't be able to make it. I didn't read the housing one yet. Just a minute."

Kurt sat up in bed and leaned against the headboard.

"I didn't get a single," Sebastian said very dejectedly. He leaned back and closed his eyes, willing himself not to cry, not quite succeeding.

"Does it say why? Did you miss a deadline or something?"

"No. I had all of the paperwork turned in on time. There are just too many people that need them. The requests had to be prioritized. Even though I'm eligible, there just aren't enough singles available."

"What will you do?"

"I'm not sure. Dad knows that the single is pretty much a deal breaker for me. I just can't live with someone that I don't know and trust." Sebastian had tears streaming down his face, silently crying.

"I'll be right back." Kurt got up and headed to the bathroom.

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He called the apartment manager in Connecticut. "Yes. This is Kurt Hummel. I have a lease signed for a 1-bedroom starting in July. I know that when we originally signed there were no 2-bedrooms available in the complex. I was calling to see if that had changed."

"Yes, I can hold while you transfer me to the other complex."

"So, there is a 2-bedroom? Would it be possible to switch the lease to the 2-bedroom from the 1-bedroom I had before?"

"Excellent. Can you send me the details of the 2-bedroom to the email you have on file and I'll let you know early tomorrow morning if we want to switch, if that's okay."

"Alright then. Thank you."

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Kurt went back into the bedroom and handed Sebastian some tissues as he climbed back into the bed with Sebastian.

He scooted as close to Sebastian as he could get and opened his email and clicked on the link to the 2-bedroom apartment the manager had sent.

"So, I have an option for you that might work, if you're interested." He showed Sebastian the floor plan and the location of the apartment. "This apartment is still available."

Sebastian took the phone and looked more closely. "That's an interesting floor plan. The bedrooms are split on separate ends of the apartment and both bedrooms have their own bathroom. And there's even room for a washer and dryer." He turned toward Kurt. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

"You could move in with me and Sam. He and I can still share a room and you can have the second bedroom or you and I can share a room and he can have a room to himself, whichever way you prefer."

Sebastian's eyes lit up. Even in the pale light of the phone, Kurt could see it.

"This apartment complex is a little out of reach for just me and Sam. That's why I hadn't chosen this complex before. They are a little nicer and have the washer/dryer hookups. Even the 1-bedroom was just a little too much. But if you moved in and we split the cost three ways instead of just two, we could do it."

"You want me to move in with you?"

"I do, but I'm not sure how the logistics would work out. It would mean a lot of driving for you, but since Sam is still in high school for the next school year, I have to live within the Hartford district limits for this school year."

"Let me call my dad back and see what he says."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Dad, I read the emails. In regards to the Yale thing being cancelled, I can work on the airplane and hotel issues tomorrow morning. I'm more concerned about the dorm issue. You know that I just can't have a roommate in a suite environment."

"I know, Dad. I know you would change things if you could. But what happened happened. I can't undo it. Neither can you. But I don't trust. I just can't." Sebastian barely kept from crying too hard to talk. He wiped his eyes.

"I have an option. I don't know how the university would respond to the option though. I can live off campus."

"Yes, I know that I'm required to live on campus for the first two years, but they were supposed to meet my housing requirement for a single and they didn't."

"Okay. I'll wait to hear from you. I'll have to commute farther than you'd like. But I'd feel safe and I could focus on my studies."

"I know you'll try. Thank you, Dad."

"Bye."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian sighed loudly. "My dad's pretty persuasive. He's a third generation alumnus and he's brought prestige to his alma mater. We'll see how much that prestige can buy him in influence when he calls. If he gets anywhere today, he'll call back tonight. Otherwise, it won't be until tomorrow afternoon sometime with the time difference."

Kurt took Sebastian's phone and laid it on the bedside table, then he slid back down in the bed and put his head on his pillow. Sebastian slid down too and faced him.

"You know what this means, right?" Sebastian asked.

"What?"

"I don't have to leave this weekend. You could stay too. I can get your plane ticket changed."

"I don't really want to go home. I'll text Carole and tell her I'm staying. How long do you want me to stay?"

Sebastian whispered quietly with his face half in his pillow, "Forever?"

"I didn't hear that."

"At least two more weeks. How about we figure out the details after my dad says whether or not he got the university to agree to me living with you off campus."

"Okay."

"I need to go tell my mom about those emails." They got out of bed and went out into the living room and found Lisette sitting in the dark watching TV with the volume down low.

" _Mom?_ "

" _Yes, dear?_ " she said glancing up briefly, but not really taking her eyes off the TV.

Kurt and Sebastian sat down on the couch. " _I have some things to tell you. Dad called a little bit earlier. I got a couple of emails from school that he was sent as well. The 2-week event I was going to has been cancelled. And Kurt is going to stay longer since I'm not leaving to go to Connecticut this weekend._ "

" _That's nice. Well, not nice that you don't get to attend the conference you wanted to go to, but nice that Kurt is staying longer._ "

" _The other news was that my request for a single didn't go through._ "

" _Oh, no._ " Lisette said worriedly. She sat up and paused the movie. " _I know that was part of the deal that you made with your dad. That you would go to Yale, but only if you could get a single._ "

" _Dad's trying to use his influence to get them to let me live off campus since they cannot provide the single that I was supposed to get. He said he'd call back tonight if he got an answer quickly or that he'd call back tomorrow if he couldn't talk to someone today. It was around 4:00 Connecticut and Ohio time when he called._ "

" _If you lived off campus, where would you live?_ "

Kurt spoke up, " _With me and my best friend. We've already signed a lease on a 1-bedroom apartment, but I called the management office and there's a 2-bedroom still available in another complex near the original complex. Sebastian can move in with the two of us. He's already met my best friend, whose name is Sam._ "

" _Is that what you want, Sebastian?_ "

" _Yes. It really is. Kurt, Sam and I can all get along. Sam's super nice. He's an artist. He's still going to be in high school in the fall. It's a long story. Kurt can explain it. That's why we'd have to live some place close to where Kurt and Sam's original apartment is. They can't live outside the area or Sam can't go to the high school he wants to attend._ "

" _I see. But I'm pretty sure that you told me that Kurt is going to school in Hartford. That's like a 45-minute drive. I've driven from New Haven to Hartford before._ "

" _I know, Mom. But it's that or living in a dorm suite or in an apartment all alone in New Haven. I don't want to be alone anymore, Mom. I did what you and Dad wanted. All of it. I went to Ohio. I stayed at Dalton all week. I spent every weekend at Dad's. I went to counseling. I've learned a lot. I'm glad I went. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have met Kurt. But please don't make me live with people I don't know or completely alone again._ "

Sebastian was visibly distraught. Kurt scooted closer to him and took his hand.

" _Oh, honey. I know. You've done your best. I know you have. I'll help you however I can. Your father will have to pull a lot of strings to get this for you. If he succeeds, you can't let him down by skipping classes or by doing poorly because you're so far from campus._ "

" _I know._ "

Sebastian's phone was ringing in the bedroom. Kurt let go of him so that he could go answer it. Kurt stayed seated in the living room.

" _So, why is Sam going with you to Connecticut if he is still in high school?_ "

While Sebastian was on the phone in his room, Kurt explained Sam's situation to Lisette.

" _You are a dear, you know? Helping Sam and now trying to help Sebastian. My parents and your grandparents were even talking about it._ "

Kurt blushed. " _I do care about both of them. And although Sebastian absolutely annoyed the daylights out of me when we first met, after I got to know him, the real him, I realized how hard he tried to help me. I was an absolute stranger to him, but he cared enough to try to help me._ "

This time it was Sebastian that blushed when he heard what Kurt had said. He sat back down on the couch, very close to Kurt.

" _Well, Dad has pulled off the impossible. They are going to let me live with you off campus._ "

" _Really? That's shocking, to be honest. I really figured that they'd say 'no'._ " Kurt said.

" _Will Sam be upset? You didn't even ask him._ " Sebastian asked, concerned that the plan might fall through still.

" _Sam is the easiest to get along with person ever. He's just glad to be getting out of Lima and to be getting a chance at a decent future. Trust me, he'll be fine with it. But I will go call him just so you can rest assured that everything will be fine. I'll be right back._ "

Sebastian and Lisette talked while Kurt was in the bedroom.

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"Hey, Sam!"

"Hey, Kurt! How's it goin'?"

"Things are really great. How's Kentucky?"

"My brother and sister are a lot of fun. I managed to swing a trip to a little carnival with them today. They'd never been to one before. So, that was fun."

"Sounds like it. I have a question for you."

"Shoot."

"What would you think of Sebastian living with us?"

"All of us in one bedroom? That's going to be pretty tight."

"No, sorry I should have made myself more clear. If we lived in a 2-bedroom, what would you think?"

"That's fine. You trust him. I trust you. I'm good."

"The 2-bedroom is in a different complex, but not far from the first one. It's actually nicer and it has two bathrooms and a washer/dryer hook up so we wouldn't have to go to the laundromat."

"Well, that sounds good."

"I think you'll like the 2-bedroom a lot. It has higher ceilings and really tall windows. They should let in a lot of natural light for you to paint at home."

"Ooh, excellent."

"The conference at Yale that Sebastian was going to attend next week got cancelled, so he's staying here. I'm going to stay too. For two more weeks. I hope you're not mad. I miss you like crazy, but I might never get another chance to spend time with my grandparents. I spent the last three days with them. That's why I haven't called the last couple of nights. Sebastian's mom arranged for us to use a little chapel this evening, she found a guitarist for me and I gave my grandparents an impromptu concert. It was really cool. Not my best vocal work since I was singing with a person I'd never met before with no time to practice beforehand. But it was just so cool. Being here is like coming home. I've never felt like I belonged anywhere, ever. And I feel like I belong here. It's hard to explain."

"That's cool about the concert for your grandparents. I bet they loved it. Everyone loves listening to you sing. I'll miss you the next two weeks, but you're right. No one lives forever and I hope your grandparents have many, many years to go, but you're there now and you should take advantage of that."

"Thanks for being an awesome person and understanding. I need to get going for now. It's after 11:30 here. I'll call you again tomorrow."

"Bye!"

They hung up and Kurt went back into the living room.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

" _Done. He said and I quote,_ 'You trust him. I trust you. I'm good.'"

" _Okay, then. I guess that's settled. We'll all be living in Hartford. Can you show Mom the apartment?_ "

" _Sure." Kurt went and got his phone and brought it back and opened it to the link. "Here it is. If you click on the address, a map will pop up and show you where it is._ "

" _That's a nice place. Reid's going to help cover the cost right, since he was going to pay your room and board?_ "

" _Yes. He agreed on the phone when I was in my room talking to him._ "

" _Are you parents covering your costs, Kurt?_ "

" _No. Sam and I will be working. I already have a job lined up. I start the second week in July. Sam will have to look for a job after we get there. He's been working as a waiter in a family restaurant in Lima. He's really friendly and good with kids and can make balloon animals. He made good tips. My dad has offered to give us $300 a month for food, if we need it. He says he's been paying that much for us while we were living at home. I hope to not need it, but I know it's there if we run too close on money. I'd rather make the money myself and let him use his money to pay off his medical bills._ "

" _Medical bills?_ " Lisette asked.

" _Yeah, a year and a half ago, he had a massive heart attack and was in a coma. We had health insurance, but the hospital bills still added up quickly. He and Carole, my stepmother, got married a few weeks later. Then two days later, he sent me to Dalton. He used the money he had saved to take my stepmother on a honeymoon to pay the tuition for the first semester, then borrowed money for the second semester. And on top of that my previously somewhat homophobic stepbrother refused to share a room with me so we had to buy a bigger house, which worked out well in the end because we had room in the new house for Sam to live with us this past year._ "

" _I see._ "

" _He also had to hire a new full-time person at the shop in January to cover the hours he used to work. He's the owner, but he worked full-time doing work on the cars as well. So, between the medical bills, the higher mortgage, hiring someone new, and expenses related to traveling and needing a new wardrobe, since he rented his wedding tux and owned nothing but flannels and jeans when he won the election, his additional income as a congressman hasn't quite made it to the point where we are better off yet._ "

" _You are wise beyond your years, young man. Most teens have no concept of budgets and how households are run._ "

" _Well, I took over a lot of that stuff when my mom died. I know I was young, but my dad was a very busy man, working like 60 hours a week just to make ends meet. We had her bills to pay and he had only had the shop turning a profit for maybe five years when she died. So, I learned to cook, clean, sew, pay bills. I did my dad's books before I was old enough to legally work on the cars in the shop._ "

Kurt pulled up a picture of Sam. " _That's Sam._ "

" _Oh, he's a cutie._ "

" _Very true. He's a sweetheart_." Kurt scrolled through some more photos. " _Here's a picture of the painting he gave me for my birthday_."

" _He is good._ "

" _I think so. I think he can get into art school. He just needs better teachers and a decent guidance counselor to help him get a good portfolio and recommendations together. I'd show you other pieces, but I used a digital camera to photograph his other work and I have the photos on a DVD at home, not on my iCloud account._ "

" _Well, I like this apartment. It has a lot of space and the bedrooms have decent closets._ "

" _I'll have to redesign the layout on my app._ "

Lisette looked at him questioningly.

" _Here. Come sit by us. I'll show you._ " Kurt opened the app and showed her how he could change the dimensions of the room and put furniture in and move it around.

" _That's fun. It's like getting to be an interior designer without the hassle of actually moving the furniture around to see how it would look in a different configuration._ "

" _It is. I've been window shopping on the Ikea app, putting things in my shopping cart and then choosing furnishings from the options in the app that are the closest to what I like while I'm playing around with moving things around. I started playing with it when things were really stressful with all my AP exams and we were rehearsing for Nationals. I had so many things to do. I was really stressed out. This was my little stress relief that I could do for five minutes at a time and have fun. It helped me focus on why I was working so hard. Lima is not the place for me._ "

" _Most definitely not_ ," Sebastian said. " _You were treated terribly there._ "

Lisette interjected, " _That's why I brought Sebastian here after the divorce. Reid and I agreed that he would be better off here with my family where he could be himself and not hide. We knew from the time he was a toddler that he was gay. We didn't want that life for him and I had the power to see to it that he didn't face that ignorance his whole life._ "

" _My parents knew too. When I came out to my dad, he told me that he had known since I was three._ "

" _I never really 'came out'. I was never 'in'. So, I've never really thought about how long you and Dad knew._ "

" _By Ohio standards, you were very effeminate as a young child, Sebastian. You've seen photos of yourself. You dressed up and threw dinner parties for your stuffed animals. Dancing, singing, cooking. Things that the troglodytes in rural Ohio think that boys shouldn't do. You never said you were a girl and you didn't want to be a princess, but you always talked about marrying the prince in those Disney movies you loved._ "

" _I like that - troglodyte. I called them neanderthals._ "

Lisette laughed. " _I bet you did._ "

" _Yep. Lima has no shortage of people who think that gay people can spread their gayness, it seems. I met some of them the night we tried to go out to eat in Lima,_ " Sebastian added.

" _Ridiculous_ ," Lisette said indignantly.

" _Agreed._ " Changing the topic back, he said, " _But I'm certain that you will like Sam if you ever come to visit us in Connecticut._ "

" _You said you already have a job lined up. What will you be doing?_ "

" _I'm a master mechanic. I have a job at a shop in Hartford._ "

" _That's impressive. I can't say that I've ever heard of a master mechanic as young as you._ "

" _I took the tests as soon as I was old enough, which was last June. The pay at the shop I'll be working at is more than twice what I could make an hour working retail or fast food. The split on the apartment wasn't going to be equal between me and Sam. I would have been paying at least two thirds, maybe three quarters of the total expenses. He's going to be in class like 40 hours a week and he is dyslexic so getting his reading and his written work done takes him longer. He can only work about 15 hours a week once school starts. He has to do well, especially on his portfolio work between the beginning of school and November. So, he can't work too much or he'll ruin his chance at getting to go to college. And that's really what all of this is about for him. He had no hope and I just couldn't bear it. He's so amazingly talented. But he's lived four places in three states and gone to three different high schools already. Hartford is his last chance at doing something he loves._ "

" _It sounds like you've put a lot of work into this._ "

" _I did. I love Sam. He's like a brother to me. He's family now. You know, he's just the most awesome person. He deserves this._ " Kurt looked at Sebastian. " _I already told you this._ " Looking back at Lisette, he said, " _Sam was nice to me from the very beginning and I had never met a guy that was friendly to me. I had only known him for a few weeks and he actually stood up to a bully in an effort to get him to back down and leave me alone. He got a nasty black eye out of it. No one had ever defended me before._ "

" _That still didn't stop the bullying and you left?_ " Lisette asked.

" _Eventually. The bully had threatened to kill me. I hadn't told anyone that at first, but the bullying intensified and eventually my dad found out. The bully was expelled, but his parents appealed and he came back a few days later. I left and went to Dalton. And while so many bad things came out of that situation, so many good things did too. I think it was sort of like Sebastian getting sent there. It was for a horrible reason that he had to go, but good came out of it as well. If I hadn't gone there, I would have never taken an AP course. I would have never learned how to plan for college. Sam and I wouldn't be heading off to Connecticut._ "

Lisette refocused their conversation. " _Back to logistics. You and Sam are planning to move in the first week in July, right?_ "

" _Yes, at the end of that week. We're going to drive the Navigator with our stuff in it, maybe pulling a small U-Haul. But that depends on how much stuff we end up taking with us. We don't have any furniture to take with us, so maybe just the Navigator will be enough room. Sam doesn't have a car. He's been sharing with me since he moved in with us._ "

" _So, Sebastian. You won't be heading to Connecticut this weekend, but I'm thinking that you're going to want to go to Connecticut sooner than the middle of August._ "

He looked at Kurt and smiled. " _Well, yeah._ "

" _Okay. We'll talk more tomorrow. It's late - after midnight. Go on back to bed. I've got to get some sleep._ " She turned the TV off and stood to leave the room.

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Kurt and Sebastian went back to the bedroom and got in bed. Sebastian got right back up.

"I'm going to go get us a drink. I'm thirsty from all of the talking." Sebastian reached over and turned on the small lamp on his bedside table. When he walked back into the room, he could hear Kurt faintly crying. He shut the door behind him.

"Kurt?" Sebastian put the cups down on his desk. "What's wrong?"

"It's really embarrassing. Can you come back over here?"

"Of course." Sebastian sat next to where Kurt was laying curled up. "What got you so upset? You were fine when I left a few minutes ago."

"I don't even know how to bring this up. But before we change anything, before we move forward with any more plans, I have to ask you something. And it's really super personal. It has to do with what we were talking about before we went out to tell your mom about the emails."

"Okay?" Sebastian answered, unsure of where the conversation was headed.

"I know that this is all new, but I'm falling head over heels for you. I was serious about not being a 'part of the way' kind of guy."

Sebastian spoke up to reassure Kurt, "Well, I told you earlier that I've liked you for a lot longer than you knew. It didn't just start for me. I've liked you since the day we met in the Lima Bean. I just never considered that you'd ever like me too. So, what is this super personal question you want to ask me?"

"This involves me talking about Blaine and I honestly hope that this is the last time we will do that, unless the counselor we see thinks that something beneficial could come from talking about him."

"Okay."

"Well, you figured out that he wasn't in love with me. And you mentioned that he complained about a lot of things about me, which makes me wonder why you would like me after listening to him tell you all of my faults for all of those months. I would have thought that it would make you completely uninterested."

"Kurt, look at me." They both moved so that they could look at each other. "The things he complained about were ridiculous. They weren't your faults. If anything, the things he complained about pointed out HIS faults. You not telling him that he is the best at everything is not a personal flaw on your part. You spending a lot of time studying isn't a flaw, it's a positive character trait. It meant that you were serious about your future."

Kurt nodded in understanding.

Kurt spoke. "I've gotten the impression that you have never been treated gently - that Jacques did not provide you with any affection. That is not going to be a problem for me. I'm actually a very affectionate person, if someone were to want my affection, which Blaine did not. We kissed, but he scheduled our quote 'make out sessions' unquote. It was just kissing, not really making out. There was no passion on his part, and less so over time. We never snuggled. I've never even seen him without his hair completely gelled. He refused to wash the product out of his hair and it's pretty hard to lay around snuggling with all of that product in his hair."

"But you said that the night of the West Side Story opening..."

"We went from first base to home run with nothing in between - with me as the pitcher and him as the catcher because I wasn't willing to give up the control he had tried to take from me the night before. He didn't turn down my offer. So, that's how it went down the handful of times that it took place."

"Why were the middle bases skipped? No interest on your part or his?"

"I had plenty of interest. After that first time, I tried to interest him as well, but he just said that the whole idea didn't appeal to him. And I just dropped it, accepting him at his word. But when I confronted him after the break up song, he admitted to the fact that he never found me attractive physically."

Sebastian looked at him strangely.

"I was crying because I already feel so close to you, but I'm afraid. I'm afraid that even though you say that you like me, that you won't want me either. I need to know before I let myself get into this any more deeply."

"I'm still confused."

"I'm sorry. Let me try to make more sense. You've said things to me in the past about my looks, but then you also said that you were just saying things to rile Blaine up - to show me that he wouldn't defend me, to show me that he didn't really care. I want to believe that you find me attractive, but it's a huge struggle. Being insulted about my looks my whole life and then having the one person who supposedly loved me tell me that I wasn't attractive just about broke me. I'm willing to step way out of my comfort zone right now, before we finalize the dating issue. I need to know that you are making a decision based on full disclosure."

Kurt sat up and got out of the bed. He picked up Sebastian's desk chair and put it blocking the door to the room. He walked over to the bed. "I'm not asking you for anything. I'm not wanting you to do anything. Just lay down there on your side, okay?"

"Okay." Sebastian crawled across the bed and lay down on his side of the bed, facing Kurt.

Kurt stepped closer to Sebastian, but stayed out of his reach. He took his shirt off and laid it on the end of the bed.

Sebastian's eyes widened. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to show you me. If you don't like what you see, we can remain friends like we have been. You can still move in with us. I'll share a room with Sam and we can still be good friends. My friends don't have to find me attractive. Lord knows, Sam doesn't find me attractive. He's would consider himself a zero on the Kinsey scale."

"Kurt, you don't have to do this."

"I know. You aren't asking me to." Kurt slipped off his pajamas pants and laid them on the bed with his shirt. He mustered up all of the resolve he could and finished undressing and stood facing Sebastian. He struggled to maintain his composure while trembling slightly, but when he brought his eyes up from the floor, he managed to meet Sebastian's eyes.

"Are you sure Blaine is gay? You are breathtaking." Sebastian struggled against his own desire to get out of the bed and move toward Kurt, but he restrained himself. "I don't see one physical flaw anywhere." Kurt turned around. "Nope, perfect on the front and the back."

Kurt moved to the stack of clothes and redressed himself. Once he was dressed, Sebastian stood up and stepped toward Kurt. "That was incredibly brave of you. You are stunning. There is no need to worry one bit about me not finding you attractive." Sebastian opened his arms inviting Kurt to step into a hug, but not pressuring him. Kurt stepped forward just leaned into the hug and cried. Tears of relief washed down his cheeks.

"Really?"

"Absolutely. I think you are gorgeous."

"You're not just saying that?"

Sebastian stepped back a little. "Look me in the eyes." He waited for Kurt to do it. "I'm truly sorry for ever saying anything that hurt you. I thought you were beautiful the day we met. You were wearing that military-inspired half-capelet with that white tunic with the cleric-inspired collar that looked like some fashion show outfit."

"You remember what I was wearing?"

"Absolutely. You were gorgeous."

"You have the most stunning glasz eyes. And you are absolutely ravishing."

They just held each other for a few minutes.

Sebastian spoke again softly. "If at any point in the future, you decide to share the gift of yourself with me, I would never take such a gift for granted."

Sebastian reached up and wiped the tears from Kurt's face. "Let's put this behind us, okay? I think you are beautiful inside and out. Can you accept that? Can you let your doubts go about how I feel?"

"I think so. I'll do my best."

"That's all I can ask."

"Bas?"

"Mmm hmm?"

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

"Yes."

Kurt tilted his head up slightly and said, "Will you kiss me?"

"Absolutely." Sebastian leaned forward closing the small gap between them and gently kissed Kurt.

Sebastian kissed him again. "You are an amazing kisser."

"Is that so? I think I need more practice to be sure." Kurt pulled Sebastian back toward the bed. Sebastian was hesitant. "It's okay. We can just go to sleep if you want." That answer reassured Sebastian and he moved to the bed willingly and sat down on the side he normally slept on. Kurt turned the light off, and then sat down next to him instead of going to the other side of the bed. He held on to Sebastian's hand. "I will never push you. I promise. We can do or not do anything you say. I'm comfortable with you calling the shots. I trust you."

Sebastian slid up to sit up against the headboard. "Will you come here?" Kurt moved, but couldn't really see in the dark what Sebastian wanted him to do.

"Sure, but what is it that you want me to do. I can't see."

"Come sit next to me."

Kurt started crawling up the bed. "Okay. How do you want me to do this?"

Sebastian put his legs out straight in front of him while continuing to sit up and leaning back on the headboard. "Just...um...sit right next to me?"

He did what Sebastian asked. Sebastian put his arm around Kurt's shoulders and pulled him close. Kurt leaned into him and inclined his head against Sebastian's.

"Perfect. I just wanted to hold you for a while."

After a few minutes, Kurt said, "How about we slide down in the bed and I put my head on your chest. It will be more comfortable."

They slid down and wiggled around and finally got into position. "This is nice." He held Kurt tight against him and traced patterns on Kurt's back.

"That's really relaxing," Kurt said. "But now it's your turn." Kurt scooted up in the bed a bit and put his head on his pillow while lying on his back.

Sebastian scooted down and Kurt extended his arm allowing Sebastian to slide in close to him and lay his head on Kurt's chest.

After Sebastian had a chance to get comfortable, Kurt asked, "So, what do you think?" He tilted his head down a kissed Sebastian's hair.

"I think I'm going to be a big snuggler. I think snuggling might become my new favorite hobby." He tipped his head up and Kurt kissed him again. "Mmm. I'm not going to get tired of that."

"Me neither. So, I can kiss you whenever?" Kurt asked.

"Of course."

"You really wouldn't be embarrassed if we went walking in Parc Monceau tomorrow and I just stopped and kissed you."

"Why would it be embarrassing for my gorgeous boyfriend to kiss me?"

"Best answer ever."

Sebastian kissed him again.

After a few minutes, Kurt asked Sebastian to turn over facing away and scoot back until he was the little spoon. Kurt slipped his arm under Sebastian's, then caught his hand and intertwined their fingers.

Kurt snuggled up behind Sebastian and started gently kissing the back of Sebastian's neck. Sebastian pulled Kurt's hand that was intertwined with his up to his mouth and kissed Kurt's fingers and then held his hand against his heart.

Sebastian spoke quietly, but Kurt could hear him. "This is perfect. You make me feel really special and cherished."

"I'm glad. I love taking care of the people I'm close to."

"I know. I've always been able to tell."

They just lay there enjoying the closeness for a while.

"Turn over and you be the little spoon for a while." Once they were cuddled up again, Sebastian spoke quietly in Kurt's ear, "I look like you, if that was part of your concern. That procedure is not widely performed here, except for religious reasons, and my mom refused it after I was born."

"Really? When I was young, I always wondered why I didn't look like the other boys. I never had the nerve to ask my dad. I never let anyone see me, ever. I didn't need one more thing to be tormented about."

"Well, just for your knowledge and to help let the truth of what I said sink in, we are pretty much a matching set from what I could tell," he squeezed Kurt into the best hug he could manage with the position they were lying in.

"Thanks. I feel better now."

Sebastian kissed Kurt on his shoulder and then up the side of his neck.

"Bas?"

"Mmm hmm?"

"Will your mom make me sleep on the couch once she finds out that we're boyfriends?"

"No, definitely not."

Kurt turned back over to face Sebastian.

"Is it okay if I kiss you?"

"Always. You don't have to ask. I always want to kiss you."

"That will take getting used to."

Sebastian leaned forward and met Kurt halfway and kissed him.

"Always assume the answer to 'Should you kiss Sebastian?' is 'Yes.'"

"I'll try to remember that, but feel free to remind me, if I forget," Kurt teased.

Sebastian kissed him again and said, "I'll do that." He smiled and turned over and scooted back to be the little spoon again. They fell asleep with Kurt holding Sebastian close.


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning, Sebastian woke up first and realized that he was still little spoon and that Kurt had held him close all night, which made him smile. No one besides his mother had ever made him feel so special. What he had experienced with Jacques was nothing like this. Kurt actually cared for him. He could feel it in every touch. And he had promised to never push Sebastian. Sebastian rolled over gently and looked at Kurt. This gorgeous boy wanted him, even in his still partially broken state. He caressed Kurt's cheek and gently placed a kiss there. Kurt's eyes began to flutter.

"Mmm. That's nice." He kissed Sebastian lightly on the lips.

"Good morning, mon ange." said Sebastian.

"Well, good morning to you too, beautiful." He pressed another light kiss to Sebastian's lips and said, "I'll be right back." and got up and went to the bathroom.

Sebastian was waiting outside the bathroom door. "My turn," he said as Kurt came out. When Sebastian came out, he found Kurt back in bed instead of in the kitchen.

"Not hungry?"

"Mmm. Not enough to get out of bed if you're willing to climb back in with me."

Sebastian got in bed and lay facing Kurt. Kurt reached over and gently stroked Sebastian's cheek. "You keep calling me 'mon ange' and I've been thinking of what to call you. 'Mon chou' just doesn't work for me. I kind of like 'mon papillion'. Maybe 'mon avenir', 'ma joie', 'mon espoir', 'ma paix'. The last two weeks, you've been 'mon guide' and 'mon refuge'. I don't know what to pick." Running his hand up and down Sebastian's arm, he added, "You are definitely, 'mon beau'. I might go with 'mon choix', unless you don't like it."

Sebastian struggled to maintain eye contact with all of the positive things that Kurt was saying. "I'm not sure what to say."

Kurt could see how hard accepting his affectionate words was for Sebastian. "You don't have to say anything." And he kissed him gently again. They just lay silently for a while, enjoying each other's proximity.

Sebastian's stomach started growling and broke the silence. "I'm going to go get us some fruit and yogurt. I'll be back in a few minutes." Sebastian went to the kitchen and prepared bowls of yogurt with granola, fruit and honey and took them back to the bedroom and handed Kurt's to him after he sat up.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Sebastian said as he sat down next to Kurt. They ate quickly in silence, both thinking about their plans. Sebastian reached out to take Kurt's empty bowl and put it on the bedside table.

"Let's snuggle up and figure out the dates for the things that need changed," Sebastian said as he grabbed a couple of throw pillows and offered one to Kurt. They arranged themselves, half sitting up, snuggled as close as possible. "Nothing in Ohio or Connecticut can be dealt with for another five or six hours. So, let's just start with dates and planning."

"Well, my first day at the shop is July 9th. I had planned to leave Lima on the 6th. And I'll still need time to pack up my room. Sam is headed back to Lima this weekend without me."

"If I went back to Ohio with you, I could drive my own car out to Connecticut. Otherwise, I'll just have to wait until you're going to be in Hartford and fly in after you arrive and let the driver take me stuff to Hartford instead of Yale."

"Ten hours is a long drive in a car by yourself. Sam and I will switch off, but you'd have to drive the whole way yourself."

"You're right. I'll fly into Connecticut the day you two are due to arrive. I'll just let my dad send the driver with my stuff the next day."

"You'll need to change your flight out from this weekend to July 5th or 6th. Are you sure you want to leave Paris so early? You had planned to stay here until mid-August. That's leaving like six weeks early."

"Well, technically, I'll be here two weeks that I hadn't planned on. So, I'll just be spending four fewer weeks than my original plan."

"Um hmm." Kurt leaned to kiss him. "What will your mom think of that?"

"She'll be fine. She'll be going to New York at some point. She can come see us then."

"Before we make any final decision, let me look through my emails to make sure I haven't overlooked anything."

Sebastian turned and pulled Kurt into the little spoon position while he was reading his emails.

"Well, it seems that Dad is planning on taking everyone to DC for the 4th. So, I could fly out on the 3rd in the morning and arrive early in the day in Ohio. The flight back is a time saver. If I fly out around 10:00am here, I'll arrive around 2:00pm in Ohio. That would give me enough time to pack on the 3rd and the 4th and be ready to leave early in the morning on the 5th. You could land sometime around 10:00pm the 5th or the morning of the 6th. That would give us one extra day to get everything unpacked and to go shopping."

"Won't you miss seeing your dad before you leave Ohio?"

"We can plan a trip to DC to see him. It's a lot closer than Ohio. I want you to meet him and Carole sometime soon. We'll arrange it once we're moved in."

"Okay."

"I know your mom seemed excited last night, but how did your dad take it when you told him about moving in with me?"

"Surprisingly, he sounded genuinely happy for me." Kurt smiled at hearing that.

"How does your mom view PDA, like here in the apartment?"

Sebastian pulled Kurt to him and Kurt laid his head on Sebastian's chest while they talked.

"Well, she believes doors exist for a reason. She would never just walk in here. Even though my door has no lock, I have never been concerned about her just barging in. She's always knocked. If we don't want anyone to see what we are doing, then we should shut the door. She would never be bothered by me sitting in your lap or you sitting in mine or by us snuggling up together on the couch to watch a movie. Kissing wouldn't bother her either. Anything past kissing, she'd want us to come in here and shut the door. You touching me would not bother her, like handholding, hugging, putting your hands on my back, arms, legs, etc would not be a problem."

"Well, she's very progressive. My dad's not that open minded. He's going to expect us to keep our hands to ourselves mostly. Handholding, simple platonic hugs, maybe pecks. Maybe he'll get better with time. When he gave me 'The Talk', he suggested that I wait until I'm 30."

"He managed to get through 'The Talk' with you?"

"The talking part of 'The Talk' was about respecting myself. The practical part consisted of brochures for me to read."

"I see. When my mom gave me 'The Talk', she was not vague and it did not involve brochures. I think that there is just a different attitude toward the whole subject here, especially in Paris itself."

"I just don't want to offend your mom. She has been so great about having me here."

"She likes you. And she likes having you here."

Kurt leaned back a little so he could look Sebastian in the eyes. "I'm so glad you sought me out. I can't imagine missing out on this with you. I didn't know what I was missing before."

"I feel the same way." Sebastian kissed Kurt lightly. "Come on. I want to do something."

Kurt got up and followed him. Sebastian went to a shelf in the living room and chose a CD and put it in the CD player. He walked back over to where Kurt was standing and held out his hand. "Dance with me?"

"Always." Kurt listened as the music started. "This is is a waltz. Can you waltz?"

"What kind of self-respecting man can't waltz?"

"Okay, then," Kurt laughed. "Lead or follow?"

"Either, but I think it's usually easier if the taller person leads for most dances. So, lead, I guess."

Kurt took his hand and they began waltzing around the living room. The song changed several times, but they kept dancing.

Kurt suddenly froze in place and Sebastian nearly tripped. He turned to look in the direction Kurt was looking.

"Don't stop on my account. Coming home mid-morning to find the two of you waltzing around the living room in your pajamas is just lovely," she said while smiling.

"Did you take the day off or something, Mom?"

"No, but that sounds like a good idea. I accidentally left one of my bags here that had the binders I need for a meeting this afternoon. I figured I'd grab the bag and get back before anyone missed me much." She grabbed a bag that was sitting on the floor near a chair at the dinner table. "You're a lovely dancer, Kurt. Please enjoy yourselves and I'll be back later," she said on the way out the door.

"See, I told you. She likes you. She likes us together."

"I like us together too. Let's dance some more."

Sebastian changed the CD to a slow rock French band. He pulled Kurt close and wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist. Kurt put his arms around Sebastian's neck and leaned in.

After a few songs, Kurt stepped back a bit. "As much as I am totally enjoying this, I think we need to get our plane tickets changed. And then maybe we can go out for a walk in the park before we start making calls to the States after 2:00 when places start to open."

Sebastian leaned down slightly and tipped Kurt's chin up and kissed him. "You're right. But dancing is definitely on my agenda for us."

"I agree. I've always wanted to dance like we were earlier. Do you know other dances besides the waltz?"

Sebastian just grinned mischievously and nodded as he headed back to the bedroom. Kurt followed him and whizzed past him, practically jumping on the bed and patted the bed next to him. Sebastian laughed and lay down where Kurt indicated. "So, Mr. Smythe, you are a fabulous dancer and I want to dance more later as well. But let's get these plane tickets fixed. Did you already purchase one for after the conference to come back to France?"

"Yes, but it's a refundable ticket. I can change our tickets too. My dad had me photocopy the front and back of his card before I left." Sebastian stood up and retrieved the paper from his desk drawer and called the airline and changed their flights. He took screenshots of the flight numbers and sent Kurt's to him. Kurt sent the photo to Sam and Carole in a short email, attaching the photo of his new flight info so they could find it easily again if they needed to.

"Don't forget the hotel."

"Right." Sebastian called and cancelled his hotel reservation.

"So, snuggle or get dressed?" Kurt asked.

"I'm pretty sure that the answer to that question is always 'snuggle'. Slide over here." Sebastian pulled Kurt into the little spoon spot. Kurt could see the closet from where he was lying.

"You're taking your real clothes to Connecticut, right? You're not leaving stuff behind this time?"

"Yeah, I'm taking my stuff this time. I hadn't even started to think about it since I wasn't going to leave until August. But you're right. I do need to think about it. I guess I'll take two suitcases full on the flight and then I'll have to box up what's left and ship it. We can do that next week some time. I'll ship the boxes out a few days before I fly out."

"When we call the management company back today, I'll get the complete address of the new apartment. I need to look through my to-do list, stuff like get the electricity and the internet turned on and see what's left to be done so we can move in easily. Is your dad going to be okay with paying one third of the cost?"

"He was willing to cover all of the rent, but I told him that I didn't think you would go for that."

"As generous as that is, I wouldn't be comfortable with that." Kurt opened the file on his phone where he had stored the expenses. He changed the rent to the higher rent for the 2-bedroom. He held the phone so that Sebastian could see too. "So, here are the expenditures just for the apartment. So, divide that by three and that would be your portion, plus then you'd have your own cost of your phone plan, gas, car insurance, and groceries. Or at least I'll have the additional cost of those things. Your dad probably covers those things for you now or your mom."

"But you said that you were going to cover three quarters of the cost and Sam would cover one quarter."

"That's true. Sam can't earn as much as I can. The cost was going to be divided equitably, not equally."

"Well, my dad is in the position to be able to afford the cost more than you can. You were willing to cover more because you can earn more. Please think about letting my dad cover half at least. It will still be less than he was going to pay for me to have a single on campus."

"Okay. Let's talk to your mom and dad about it later. I'll write everything out and I'll try to be flexible. I've just never let anyone pay for me. It's been hard for me to let you pay for things these last couple of weeks, but I have to relax about it. Sam has let me pay for things for him all year and I've never felt like he owed me. I need to learn to accept other people's generosity too. It's just not going come naturally."

Sebastian nuzzled him and kissed the back of Kurt's neck. "I can understand that, but I appreciate that you're willing to reconsider. I just don't think my dad is going to be okay with you working so many hours to cover costs that he is willing to cover when his philosophy is that a college student's first job is to study and do well in school."

"Your mom and dad don't seem to dislike each other like most of the divorced parents I've heard about."

"They don't dislike each other at all. My mom loves my dad. She's never dated anyone since they got divorced. She would still take him back as far as I know."

"Okay." Kurt didn't prod further. "So, the question you didn't answer yet is whether you want us to share a room or whether you want me and Sam to share a room like we were going to in the 1-bedroom. I think it probably comes down to the question of whether you can focus if we're in a room together. We're both used to having our own rooms, but I was going to have to share no matter what. You're the one that was planning to have a single."

"That's true, but I've grown quite comfortable with you in my bed these last couple of weeks. If I'm given a choice, I'm going to sleep wherever you are."

"You don't think I'll drive you crazy?"

"Maybe crazy to be with you, but not in an annoyed crazy way. Turn over."

Sebastian slid back a little giving Kurt more room to turn and face him.

Sebastian looked him directly in the eyes. "You're neat, you're organized, you work hard. I can't see you messing with anything of mine, like papers on my desk or bookcase or something. We've been together 24/7 for 14 days in a row and you haven't gotten on my nerves at all. We've done all the domestic stuff like cooking, cleaning, laundry and shopping. We'll be fine."

"So, you actually want to share with me?" Sounding a little pathetic.

Sebastian took Kurt's hands and pulled them toward him and kissed them. "Yes, absolutely."

Tears streamed down Kurt's cheeks. Sebastian wiped them away with his thumbs. He kissed him. "Don't cry, mon ange."

They just held each other and fell back asleep. They awoke an hour later or so when Kurt got a text. "Carole wants me to call her. Why don't you text your dad and mom and see if you can arrange a mutual time for the four of us to talk at some point today. I'll go out in the living room and call Carole."

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"Hey, Carole."

"Hey, sweetie. Your dad is not thrilled that you've delayed your return flight."

"Why are you up so early? It's like 5:00 there."

"We're flying out of DC this morning."

"I'm not going to change my mind. This could very well be the very last chance I get to spend time with my grandparents. I've spent a few individual days with them and then I spent the past three days in a row with them."

"I know, sweetie. He's just used to you being here."

"Maybe I'll remind him that he was married by the time he was my age.

"That's an idea, I suppose," she laughed.

"Well, you can tell him that I'm great. I love it here. I feel like the 'me' that has been suppressed my whole life is free here. In theory, I knew that there were places like this, but after actually spending time here, I'm not going back to Lima if I can help it. Too many people in Lima want to tell me how to live my life. That's not part of my future anymore."

"I can't imagine the struggle you've had. It broke my heart to know that Finn had contributed to what you had been through."

"Don't blame yourself for that. He could have chosen to learn. He just didn't. Being away from Lima has given me a new perspective."

"I bet it has."

"I need to tell you something else. You can tell me how soon to tell Dad."

"Okay."

"Sebastian is my boyfriend now. We're dating."

"When did this happen?"

"I asked him last night. Well technically, really early this morning, I guess."

"You're sure about this?"

"Absolutely. I know it may seem fast, but he's amazing, really. I already know that I love him."

"Have you told him that?"

"Not yet. There's something else."

"What?"

"He's moving in with me and Sam. We're getting a 2-bedroom instead. Sam already knows and he's fine with it. Sebastian is arranging a call between his mom and dad and the two of us for later today to work out the details of how we're splitting the cost."

"Don't forget us."

"I know. Dad has offered us $300 a month. I'll add that to the conversation. Sebastian won't be working. He's going to have to commute. It's a long story, but the end of the story is that he's going to live with me and Sam in Hartford. And I know it's going to be fine."

"Whether it is or isn't, it's your choice who to see and who to live with. I won't try to change your mind.

"I appreciate that. Send me Dad's schedule in an email please. We'll find a time to see you guys. Have fun in DC on the 4th."

"Okay."

"I do have one question. Are Finn and Rachel still planning to get married this summer?"

"They keep saying they are."

"Well, I won't necessarily be able to just drive ten hours each way with no advanced notice. If they decide to do a spur-of-the-minute ceremony, I may not be able to make it. I'm working more hours over the summer than I will during the school year. The owner is going to be using me to cover for people who want vacation days or weeks this summer."

"I understand."

"We'll talk later after I figure out when we can come to DC."

"Okay, honey. Bye."

"Bye."

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Sebastian's texts were sent quickly and he started to go out to the living room, but then he heard what Kurt was talking about and he stayed his room.

Kurt came back into the room after he finished. "Dad's not thrilled, but he'll have to get over it."

"I heard. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, I promise."

"It's okay if you heard. I'm not keeping secrets from you. I just didn't want to pressure you. I wanted you to want to be with me of your own free will, not feel like you had to because you knew how I felt."

"So, you meant what you said?"

"Yes, of course. I won't lie to you or about you. You know that, don't you?"

Sebastian nodded. "Then tell me."

Kurt stepped toward him and took his hands. "I love you, Sebastian Smythe."

"That is the best thing I've ever heard anyone say to me." He scooped Kurt up into a big bridal-style hug and spun Kurt around. "I love you, Kurt Hummel." "You're going to break your back. Let go of me."

"Not going to happen. I've been waiting a long time to hear something that I thought I had no hope of hearing. I'm not letting you go. I intend to do everything I can to keep you."

"You say the sweetest things. Just let me stand up. I'm not going anywhere."

Sebastian put Kurt back down and gently pulled him into a regular hug. "This calls for a celebration."

"How shall we celebrate?"

"Well, first off, more kissing."

"Good plan so far." Kurt leaned up and kissed him.

"Then, we get dressed and go out for that walk you wanted to take. And then we go someplace that will be a surprise. And maybe some more shopping. I think some brown boots would look good with that Burberry coat my mom brought home for you last Friday."

"And lunch somewhere or bring some stuff home to make?"

"Yes. Lunch of some sort. We'll decide while we're out."

"Sounds good. So, shall we get started on the first part?" Kurt leaned up a little and wrapped his arms lightly around Sebastian neck, and started kissing Sebastian very gently, letting him lead the intensity.

Sebastian relaxed and the kiss heated up. After a few minutes, Sebastian pulled away. "Kissing is definitely amazing. And we should do it often."

Kurt smiled, "Of course. Are you ready to get dressed now?"

Sebastian nodded.

"Please choose whatever you think I'm going to need to wear for this surprise occasion."

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The first thing Sebastian did as they exited the building was to take Kurt's hand in his. Kurt looked at him and smiled. They turned and walked toward the park. They strolled leisurely and took a different path than they did the first time. To show his sincerity about what he had told Kurt, Sebastian stopped in the middle of the path and kissed him gently and then kept walking. Kurt just smiled.

They had walked the loop through the park and Sebastian led Kurt out of the park to the Metro station. They changed lines once and when they exited they were near the first place Sebastian had decided on - an Italian pizzeria with authentic pizzas. "How about a real Italian pizza. It's completely different than the pizza you're used to, but it's delicious."

"You know I'm easy to feed. Let's go."

They sat down and Sebastian ordered his favorite. "I haven't been here in about a year and a half or more. I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will."

And he did. Sebastian ordered an all cheese pizza that had four different kinds of cheese on it. They polished the whole thing off.

"Definitely delicious. Thanks for lunch. You're going to have to give me a chance to treat you again at some point."

"Fair enough. Next time." Sebastian took his hand again. "The shoe store is just down the street that way," Sebastian pointed.

When they went inside, Kurt followed Sebastian around because he seemed pretty set on what he thought Kurt needed. "These. They're sherpa lined and waterproof. I have a pair in black and they're super warm. And I'm getting a pair like the ones you're wearing, except in this dark brown color. Let's get them both and go." They found someone to bring out what Sebastian asked for. Sebastian paid and they left.

"So, the last two places are related. The first place is this small library, where you can only read the books, not check them out." Kurt knew how much Sebastian loved books, bookstores and libraries, so going to one wasn't really surprising. They walked hand in hand for about 15 minutes and talked about everything and nothing.

"Here, sit at this table and I'll go get the book I want to show you." Kurt sat down and waited. "You know how much I like art and literature and history." Sebastian sat down and put the book face down on the table.

"Yes, of course," Kurt scooted closer.

"Well, I've looked through this book lots of times over the years. It has such interesting pieces of jewelry and the history surrounding the different pieces. I really liked the poesy rings from back in the 15th century. They have these engraved surfaces on the outside that are patterned or have leaves or animals." He opened the book and carefully turned the pages until he found the section he wanted. "See look," Sebastian said as he slid the book in front of Kurt. "The really cool thing about them was not only how they looked, but they had messages engraved on the inside that only the giver and receiver would know about."

Kurt looked through the pages and read the information. "I can see why you like them so much. They combine all three things that you really like."

"So, the next place I want to take you is a jewelry store not far from here that sells stainless replicas of the poesy rings in the book. Stainless rings are really durable and very affordable. I want to buy you one of the rings, if you'll wear it."

"Of course, I'd wear one from you. I want to get you one too, if you'll wear it."

"Definitely." Sebastian stood up and placed the book on the cart for books that needed reshelved. Kurt followed him outside the library and took his hand as they walked to the jewelry store.

They looked through the different rings. There were some with bands that were that were narrow, others wide. Some were fairly dainty looking with flower motifs, others had geometrical patterns or animals. The inscriptions were in Old English, Old French, Latin and Gaelic. Sebastian's choice was a fairly narrow band with connected ellipses all the way around the outer band and on the inside "De M'amour Soiez Sure" was engraved, which translated to "Of my Love Be Sure". Kurt chose one with a pattern on the outside that was a combination of vines and leaves and on the inside it said "In thee my choyce I do rejoyce". They chose separately, waiting until they exchanged the rings for the other to see in the inscriptions. They paid for each other's rings and left the store. They walked to the nearest Metro station and rode home.

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When they were back in Sebastian's room, they put the boot boxes down and Sebastian sat on his bed and patted the space next to him. Kurt sat down next to him. They pulled the ring boxes out of the bags and then removed the rings from the boxes.

Sebastian stood up, held the ring in his right hand and extended his left hand palm up. Kurt followed his example and did the same. They exchanged rings, getting to look at the inside to see what their own ring said. Once they read them, they switched back. They placed the rings on each other simultaneously. They joined hands. Kurt stepped forward and Sebastian did the same. They met in the middle and kissed. Kurt let go of one of Sebastian's hands and led him out to the living room, turned the CD player on, reached out for Sebastian's other hand and pulled him close and they began to dance.

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Around 2:00, they moved on to the phone calls they needed to make. "Let's call the management company and get everything changed," Kurt said. Can you grab some paper and a pen in case we need to write anything down? Sebastian went to his room and brought out a notebook and a pen and sat down at the table with Kurt. Kurt dialed the number, then put the phone on speaker so that Sebastian could hear too.

"Good morning, how may I help you?"

"This is Kurt Hummel. I called right before closing yesterday to inquire about changing from the 1-bedroom apartment I have a lease for starting in July to a 2-bedroom apartment."

"Of course, Mr. Hummel. I remember. So, you've decided to take the 2-bedroom, I take it."

"Yes, please. We'll be adding another person to the lease as well. Is there anything that we need to do before we arrive in July?"

"No, we charge the same deposit for all of our 1- and 2-bedroom apartments. When the new person arrives in town, he or she will need to come in and sign the new lease along with you and Mr. Evans."

"His name is Sebastian Smythe. Oh, we'll also need another parking pass for Sebastian's car."

"That's no problem. Give me the make, model and color of Mr. Smythe's car and I'll have a second pass ready for you to pick up when you come in to sign the new lease."

Sebastian quickly wrote down the answer.

"His car is a 2011 Mazda3 Hatchback and it's metallic dark blue."

There was a pause while she took down the information.

"I did have a question. Are we allowed to paint the walls in the apartment?"

"I'm afraid not. We have them professionally painted each time a tenant moves out."

"What type of flooring does the 2-bedroom apartment have?"

"Hardwood floors, except the kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room closet have ceramic tile floors."

"Can you give me the exact address for the apartment? Sebastian will need to ship several boxes from France."

Sebastian wrote down the address.

"Thank you. Is there anything else that we need to do before we arrive?"

"No, Mr. Hummel."

"If by some strange chance, boxes or deliveries arrive before we do is there a way for someone to put them inside the apartment to keep them from being stolen?"

"I can do that Mr. Hummel. Boxes are not delivered directly to the apartment doors anyway. Anything that won't fit in your mail slot at the corner mailbox areas, is delivered to the front office. If you haven't arrived when the boxes come, I'll take the delivery driver to the apartment and open the door and have him put the boxes inside in the entry way."

"Thank you so much. I doubt they would arrive early. Late would be more likely, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"I understand. Just so you are aware, the rent on this new apartment includes the water, trash, recycling, and cable internet and cable TV. You may hang curtains on the windows, but the blinds that are already hanging may not be removed. They create a uniform look to the complex. There are coaxial cables with modems for connecting wired devices to the internet in each bedroom. There is a wireless router connected in the living room. The password is on the router. You may change the password, but it has to be changed back to the original when you move out. There's a pamphlet explaining the process under the edge of the router. These apartments are all electric. The apartment has washer and dryer hook-ups, but the appliances are not provided. All other appliances are provided."

"Thank you. I really appreciate you changing all of this for us at the last minute. We plan to arrive on July 5th, but it will be after the office closes. Is there a way to get at least one key before we arrive so that we can get in?"

"I'll mail one copy of the key to the address where we sent the original paperwork. It should arrive by July 1st."

"Thank you again for all of your help."

"You're welcome. Have a good day, Mr. Hummel."

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"Well, that's good news. Even though the rent is higher, we won't to pay separately for cable or internet." Kurt said. "And with the apartment already having blinds, we can hold off on curtains if we need to. That was something that was going to be a priority before."

"Well, that's good." Sebastian started writing on a different sheet of paper, working on some calculations. And he pulled out his phone to look up prices.

"I need to call the electric company now. I'm going to have the electricity turned on before we get there. That way the fridge will be ready to use when we get there. I'm also going to get a cost estimate on the electricity for the new apartment so we'll have accurate information to share with your parents. What time are we all talking today?"

Sebastian switched to his text messages. "Dad says he rescheduled his 3:00-4:00 appointment this afternoon. So, that will be 9:00-10:00 here."

"That will work."

Kurt looked up the electric company and called to set everything up. He reached for the pen and paper and Sebastian slid it over.

"Okay. I have to go to their website, sign into the account she just created, change the password to something we choose, then pay the deposit online before I can set up the date for the power to be turned on."

"That seems complicated."

"Well, I didn't want to give my debit card over the phone."

"I can understand that."

"What are you calculating there?" Kurt asked while signing in. Kurt put in his debit card info and waited five minutes before calling back. He had gotten the estimate and wrote it on the sheet underneath the electric company account user name and password.

Sebastian answered after Kurt finished with the electric company. "I think we need to buy a washer and dryer right away. Any money we spend at a laundromat will just be a waste. I found some high capacity washers and dryers for less than it would cost each of us to do three loads of clothes a week at a laundromat."

"Okay. Then we can look through Consumer Reports and find a good brand and model. And then we'll go online and find the best price at a location that can deliver to the apartment. And we have to figure out how we're going to pay for it. Once that's all figured out, we can make the purchase and set up the delivery date."

"You've done this before," Sebastian said, somewhat awed.

"Yes, I have. I'd suggest that we get the same ones that Carole and I picked out for the house a year and a half ago, unless there's something newer with better reviews. We haven't had any trouble with them and they do a good job."

"That's fine with me to get the same ones and skip the research for anything else."

"So, online window shopping or real window shopping?" Kurt asked.

"What are we shopping for?"

"Bedding."

"Well, unless it's from a store that has a retail presence here and in Connecticut, I'd say online window shopping. I propose that we get a drink and and then snuggle shop."

"Snuggle shop? I don't think I'm familiar with how that works," Kurt winked at Sebastian.

Sebastian stood and pulled Kurt up out of his chair. "Then by all means, let me introduce you to this new form of shopping. I think you'll find it superior to all previous types of shopping you've done." He kissed Kurt gently.

"Well, by all means then, lead the way," Kurt said while continuing to keep hold of Sebastian's hand. He rubbed his thumb against Sebastian's ring and smiled.

Sebastian noticed the movement and smiled back at him and led Kurt to the bedroom. "The snuggle shopping center hub is there," as Sebastian pointed to the bed.

"Nice location with a good view," Kurt played along.

"We are overdressed for this event though. You have to put your pajamas on to get the full experience."

"I see," Kurt said as Sebastian let go of his hand and opened the dresser and handed Kurt some pajama pants and an undershirt.

Kurt went into the bathroom and put the pajamas on. He returned to the bedroom, put his boots back in the closet and laid his pants and shirt out on the back of Sebastian's desk chair.

"You are overdressed still." Kurt turned to look at Sebastian as he entered the room with two glasses of water, barefoot.

"Alright then," Kurt walked over to the desk chair and took his socks off. "Is this the right way to be dressed for the occasion?"

Sebastian sat the glasses down on the dresser and walked up behind Kurt. "It's perfect." Sebastian said from right behind Kurt. He put his hands up on Kurt's shoulders and ran them down his arms and then slipped his arms around Kurt's torso and hugged him from behind and placed small kisses on the back of his neck.

"I'm pretty sure this particular activity has a different name. Are you sure you haven't mixed up some terminology?" Kurt teased.

"Nope, I'm certain."

"Mmm hmm, sure." Kurt laughed and turned in Sebastian's arms and kissed him gently. "I'm pretty sure you told me that the snuggle shopping takes place over there," he said looking over Sebastian's shoulder.

"Oh, you are right about that. Now, that you're dressed appropriately, we should move to the appropriate venue," he said as he walked backwards, not letting go of Kurt. When he got the the edge of the bed, he rotated quickly and tipped them over so they landed on their sides on the bed.

"You goof," Kurt laughed as he sat up to move to sit against the headboard.

Sebastian sat up and slid up next to Kurt in the bed. Kurt asked, "Are we going to try to shop on your phone?" The screen is pretty small. Why don't we use your laptop?"

"Nope, this is a phone-based activity. Move down there for a minute and hold my phone," Sebastian said pointing to the foot of the bed. Sebastian collected up all the pillows and piled them to the center of the top of the bed. Kurt climbed off and brought the water that Sebastian had sat down to the side table. Sebastian indicated for Kurt to prop himself up so he was only slightly reclining and his head was supported by pillows. He grabbed Kurt's ankles and slid his legs open into a V and climbed into the space between his legs "My spot is right here. Sebastian moved and sat down between Kurt's legs and leaned back. "See. Definitely a phone-based activity. I hold the phone and we both look." Kurt handed Sebastian the phone and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's torso to hold him in place and looked over his shoulder.

"You're right. This is definitely a phone-based activity. And the view is quite lovely, better than I had originally thought," he teased and kissed Sebastian's neck lightly.

"Mmm," Sebastian hummed.

"So, your favorite color is plum and mine is blue, but I'm thinking a light aqua blue as an accent color for the plum. So, let's start by looking for a plum colored comforter or duvet cover or quilt."

"Do we need to get stuff for Sam too?"

"Yeah. His favorite color is green. So, we'll look for that too." They looked through the Kohl's site because Kurt reminded him that he had a gift card for Kohl's and maybe more waiting for him at home since it's what he had requested for his birthday. "I like that plum one. Put it in the cart."

"Let's switch to looking for sheets."

"Those. Click right there."

"They're space ship sheets. Seriously?"

"Not for us. For Sam. He'd love them and laugh so hard when he opened them. Put those in the cart. They have green in them. They'll go with the green comforter." They continued shopping until they had found everything they needed.

"So what else should we look at?" Sebastian asked as he laid the phone to the side.

"Well, I already like what I'm looking at," Kurt teased, kissing down Sebastian's neck.

"For the apartment..."

"Yeah, I'd like what I'm looking at to be in the apartment."

"You aren't helping."

"It was your idea to snuggle shop." Kurt kissed his neck one last time. "Um. We'll need a set of pots and pans. Go back to Kohl's and let's look."

Sebastian picked his phone back up and they started looking again. "It looks like they have quite a few options. I think it would be good to go in and look before we choose for certain. We both like to cook and I think we should choose carefully. Does Sam cook?"

"He's good at basic stuff like omelettes, soups, and casseroles, mostly low-carb, high veggie content dishes. And what he makes tastes good. So, he's good to go into a cooking rotation if that's what we decide to do."

"Sounds reasonable."

"I already know what plates I want to get."

"Is there something special about them?"

"Yeah, Carole insisted that we get Corelle because Finn can be such a klutz sometimes and he dropped hers a ton of times over the years and had never broken any of them."

Sebastian sang out. "Chip the glasses and crack the plates, that's what Kurt Hummel hates."

"Very funny, but definitely true," Kurt said. "I figure if they're Finn proof, they should be good for us and for any people we make friends with and have over. I'd rather buy something durable than to have to replace pieces."

Sebastian pulled up the different styles and looked through them.

"It's a good plan. I wouldn't have thought about it since I've never really thought about replacing things. But you're right with hard wood and ceramic floors, unbreakable plates would be a good option and I really hate eating off of plastic."

"There - those I think. The simple white ones. That way they'll go with any table decorations or theme. Put two boxes of those in the cart and two boxes of those deep soup bowls. We'll need them with all the different soups that Sam will make."

"Done. So, I think we've finished the shopping part of the snuggle shopping. Is there another part to this or are we doing something else?"

"There's definitely another part." He sat up and rearranged the pillows again and pulled Kurt into the little spoon position. "More snuggling is the next part."

Kurt got comfortable. "Got it. Next part, more snuggling. At some point, we need to make dinner, right? I didn't hear your mom say anything about going out tonight."

"Let's make something very American and surprise my mom."

"Does she like American food?"

"Well, she likes one thing in particular - chili."

"Then, let's make that. Do you have what we need or will we need to go get stuff?"

"If we don't have the right stuff, we'll make something else tonight and have the chili Thursday. I don't want to get dressed and go out."

Sebastian rubbed his thumb over Kurt's ring and then pulled his hand up so that he could look at his own ring finger. "This is the best part of my wardrobe." He put his hand back on Kurt's and intertwined their fingers."

"Mine too. The rings were a beautiful idea."

Sebastian squeezed Kurt's hand gently. "I'm glad you think so," he said quietly in his ear. "I love you and I'm honored that you'll wear the ring, mon ange."

"Kurt turned over to face him. "Of course I'll wear the ring, mon choix. I love you too." Kurt kissed him sweetly.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Kurt asked.

"Choosing me."

"Always."

They continued their snuggling for a while longer. Eventually, Sebastian spoke, "As much as I regret having to say this, I think we need to go check to see what's in the kitchen."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

He and Kurt got up and went into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and the cabinets. "Well, I don't see what we need for chili, which isn't surprising. We'll go get what we need Thursday."

"Well, I see cheese, fruit, chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and some fruit. Not much else. We could make a casserole with a fruit plate. Maybe your mom could grab a baguette on the way home?"

"I'll text her."

While Sebastian was in the bedroom on the phone, Kurt got started on washing the vegetables and the mushrooms. He got out the cutting boards and knives and was ready to get started when Sebastian came back.

"She'll bring the bread and she'll be here at 5:30."

"There's no milk and we ate the yogurt earlier, so we're going to use the cauliflower as the base. Can you boil a pot of water, about half full." Sebastian got out the pot and did as Kurt requested.

"How should the cauliflower be cut then?"

"Just in chunks. Slice the mushrooms into fairly thin slices. And cut the broccoli up into bite sized pieces. And I'll cut up the chicken."

A few minutes later, they had finished their tasks and the water was boiling. "Okay, add the chicken to the boiling water." Sebastian dumped the chicken in. "Here put the cutting board and knife in here and I'll clean it up. Do you have a large slotted spoon so we can get the chicken pieces out when they're done?" Sebastian pulled one out of a drawer.

"Perfect." Kurt turned and pulled two bowls out of the cabinet. "Go ahead and scoop the chicken out, but leave the water boiling." Kurt turned the oven on while Sebastian did that.

Kurt moved over and dumped the cauliflower pieces into the pot. A couple of minutes later, he turned the heat off and use the spoon to scoop out the cauliflower. "I'll need a blender now and we'll need a glass baking dish."

Sebastian knelt down and pulled the blender out from under the counter and handed it to Kurt. Kurt dumped the cooked cauliflower into the blender and turned it on. He added some of the cooking water to get the right texture. Kurt added salt, pepper and a few other spices and blended the sauce just a little more. Sebastian placed the baking dish on the counter nearby.

"Now, can you sear that chicken in some olive oil and add some salt and garlic?"

"Sure," Sebastian said as he grabbed a clove of garlic. He put the skillet on the burner, added the oil to let it heat up while he used a garlic press on the clove. Once the oil was hot, he put the chicken and garlic in and added some salt.

After the chicken was done, they added the chicken, the broccoli and the sliced mushrooms to the glass baking dish. Kurt poured the cauliflower purée over the top, making sure it got all the way to the bottom.

"All we need to do now is to slice up the cheese." They shredded 3 different types of cheese and spread it over the top, making sure it was completely covered.

"So, now we just put it in the oven and let it cook until your mom gets here. Let's put some music back on and dance some more while we have the chance."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt walked over to the CD player and started some music. Sebastian came in the room, walked toward Kurt, and he surprised him by grabbing Kurt's hand and pulling Kurt toward him. He started waltzing and Kurt joined in quickly. The song ended and Kurt asked, "What other dances can you do? Can you Tango? Foxtrot?"

"Yes and yes."

"I only know the lead for Tango. It's impossible to practice the other part without a partner, which I, of course, never had. I bet we could pull it off if you know the follow part and I wear shoes with heels and you wear flat shoes. You're not that much taller than I am. But let's just try it barefoot for now and see if there's any hope of us succeeding."

Sebastian looked through the CDs, pulled out one with Tango music on it and put it in to play. He took his position with Kurt and they started dancing. It wasn't the best Tango, but they had fun trying. By the end they were laughing.

"Okay, that was definitely fun. I think if we practiced and I wore shoes with heels, we could do it."

"Can you dance in heels?"

"Did you never see the 'Bad Romance' video?"

"I must have missed that one."

"Well, turn the music off and let's go turn your laptop on and I'll show you. We need to get dressed before your mom comes home and finds us in our pajamas at dinner time."

They both redressed in what they had been wearing earlier and Kurt pulled up the "Bad Romance" video and Sebastian's jaw dropped as he saw Kurt strutting around in 10-inch heels.

"I bet you made all of that yourself, didn't you?" Kurt nodded. "The New Directions were stupid not to feature you." Kurt shrugged in resignation. That was all in the past now.

"So, you can see that I can definitely dance in heels, but I would only need like 2- or 3-inch heels to be tall enough to dip you while doing the Tango. Are there any clubs around here where we could go ballroom dancing?"

"Yes. There are Dance Teas. Usually it's mostly older people that go, but we could go anyway. And if you want, I bet I could get us in for a couple of private lessons at the studio were I used to take lessons. That way we could have more space than the living room to work with and we could try out your idea of you in heeled shoes and me in flats to see if it would work. We'd have to find some heeled shoes for you."

"That actually sounds like a lot of fun. Why don't you call and see about going in for a couple of lessons this week. I'm going to go check on the casserole."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Lisette came in the apartment while Kurt was in the kitchen. She was acting unusual, tossing her bags down and sighing.

" _Bad day at work?_ "

" _Very frustrating day at work. I was working on the photo credits for the shoot that you and Sebastian helped with. I have to list each piece and where it came from for the small caption under or near each photo. And a brooch was used on a scarf that one of the models was wearing and no one, I mean NO ONE, has any idea where the brooch came from. It has no maker's mark on it, no name, nothing. I'll have to reshoot the photo or leave OUT one of the ones that Anna wanted IN. She's the one that found the brooch in the hallway and wanted it paired with the scarf that had already been chosen. She assumed that one of the assistants accidentally knocked if off the traveling rack it would have been on. But we've checked. There are no empty boxes. None of the assistants recognized the brooch. It's a mystery that I must solve. Anna does not want the photo retaken._ "

" _Do you have a picture?_ "

Lisette went over and pulled out one of the binders from one of the bags she dropped on the floor when she came in. She flipped through the binder. " _Here._ " She turned the binder and held it up to show Kurt a photo of his brooch on the scarf on the model.

" _That's my brooch._ "

" _What?_ " she squeaked.

" _Yes. I didn't even realize it was missing, which is very unusual for me. But that was such a busy day and then we came home in those clothes that you took photos of us wearing. We left with the garment bags and I was so excited from the whole day that I never even realized that I'd lost it._ "

" _Where did you get it?_ " She asked excitedly.

" _Um, I made it,_ " he answered hesitantly.

" _It's an original piece that you made?_ "

" _Yes_ ," still hesitant.

" _Well, that's perfect,_ " she said exceedingly cheerfully. She reached into a different bag and pulled out a legal form. " _Please sign here and give me permission to have that brooch in the photo._ "

" _My name is going to be in_ Vogue Paris?"

" _That's right,_ " she said assuredly. " _Just sign here_." She pulled him gently to the table and handed him a pen and pointed to the line where he needed to sign.

He took the pen from her. " _What exactly am I agreeing to?_ "

" _You keep all rights. The brooch will be returned to you. I'll bring it home tomorrow. You are just giving the magazine permission to use the piece and to identify you as the artist._ "

" _Wow. I'll sign._ " He signed and dated where she pointed.

She pulled her phone and called someone. " _I have it,_ " she said excitedly. " _I have the signed release form. I'll bring it in tomorrow morning._ " And she hung up.

Turning to Kurt, she said. " _You have made my day! I do need to know what you want to call yourself in the caption. Have you considered a business name before? I can just put 'Brooch by Kurt Hummel', if you don't have a business name._ "

" _I've honestly not really considered a business name. I never considered selling anything I made. No one ever really liked what I did, well there was one guy, but for the most part, my creations were mocked, not lauded. I made things because I wanted to - for myself._ "

" _So, there are other pieces?_ "

" _Yes. I can pull them up on iCloud later if you want. Dinner's done now, if you want to go ahead and eat first_."

" _I was going to suggest that we go out and celebrate, but If you and Sebastian have already cooked, then let's eat. Maybe we can go out for dessert later._ "

Kurt pulled the casserole out of the oven and sat it on the top of the stove to cool a bit.

He carried a hot pad to the table, and then put the casserole dish on top. Kurt put the plates and utensils out and he and Lisette sat down.

Sebastian came out and sat down after finishing his phone call. " _Where's the cheese and bread?_ "

" _We're going out for dessert, so I didn't put any out,_ " Kurt answered.

" _Dessert sounds good. What are we celebrating?_ "

Lisette told Sebastian the story.

" _That's really amazing that your brooch is going to be in the magazine._ "

Kurt nodded in agreement. " _It really is and it's totally unexpected. Serendipitous._ "

" _That's it,_ " Lisette said. " _You should call your creations 'Serendipitous'. The word is spelled the same in English and French._ "

" _Serendipitous, by Kurt Hummel,_ " Kurt said listening to himself. " _It's an interesting idea. But wouldn't I have to file for a trademark? We couldn't get that done by the time the magazine goes to print could we?_ "

" _In theory, yes. It takes an application and usually less than six months to get the trademark as long as no one else has trademarked the name you want to use. And if it turns out that the application is turned down or not processed by the time the magazine is ready to go to print, the caption could just be changed to 'Brooch by Kurt Hummel'._ "

" _Let's do it the other way. Just leave it using my name for now. If I manage to procure a trademarked brand name before the issue goes to print, we can change it. I think I want to learn more about the process and think about the name for a bit first._ "

" _That's totally fine. That's what I'll put on the top of the form you signed - just your name._ "

After they had finished eating, Kurt asked, " _Sebastian, can you bring your laptop out here? Your mom wanted to see my other brooches._ "

" _Sure._ " He left to get it and came right back.

Kurt loaded his iCloud account and opened the folder that had all of the photos of his brooches in it. Sebastian and Lisette moved their chairs so that they could see the screen. " _I'll just scroll through all of them and then we can go back, if you want._ "

When he started back at the beginning, he explained how he had made them. " _I used mostly scrap metal from the shop and I used welding and soldering tools to cut out the pieces and put them together. I did all of that part on my own time at the shop. I took the brooches to school and then enameled or painted them and fired them in the school kiln or used a propane torch on some of them. Some of them are resin that I sculpted and painted, like the hippo and zebra brooches._ "

" _Those are really cool, Kurt,_ " Sebastian said.

" _What's really beyond amazing is that my bee brooch is going to be in_ Vogue Paris!" he said a little too loud. " _Sorry, I'm just a little overexcited._ "

Lisette patted him on the hand. " _I especially like the insect ones,_ " Lisette added. " _I think you could market these and people would buy them. I know the production aspect would be difficult, but I do think that they are really good._ "

" _Thanks,_ " Kurt said. Kurt logged out of his account and shut the laptop down and handed it to Sebastian.

Lisette pointed out, " _If we're going to go out for dessert, we need to get moving since Reid is calling at 9:00._ "

Kurt began clearing the table. He packed up the leftovers and put the baking dish and the rest of the items that needed washed into hot soapy water. " _Let's just leave these to soak and wash them when we get back. That way we'll be sure to not run out of time while we're out._ "

" _That's a good idea. Thanks for making dinner again. It was really good. I know that had to be something you came up with because it certainly isn't anything I've had before._ "

" _I'm glad you liked it. I just made up something from what we found in the fridge. Neither one of us wanted to go out shopping since we had already been out for several hours earlier,_ " responded Kurt.

Sebastian came back in the room. " _Are we ready?_ "

" _Lead the way,_ " Kurt said.

The three of them walked to the nearest ice cream shop. Once they had ordered and sat down at a table with their ice cream, Lisette said, " _Which one of you wants to tell me about those lovely poesy rings the two of you are wearing?_ "


	15. Chapter 15

The three of them were back in the apartment seated at the dining table ten minutes ahead of time with all of the budget information that Kurt had put together. Sebastian took a photo of the paper that Kurt had written everything on. He texted it to his dad along with the photo that Kurt had of the painting Sam had given him five minutes before the call was set to start. That way everyone could look at the information more easily and Reid would get an idea of why it was so important to Kurt to help Sam get into college.

"Good evening."

"Hello, Dad."

"Reid."

"Mr. Smythe."

"Sebastian, Kurt, Lisette."

Reid started the conversation. "Well, I'll get down to business quickly since I have more meetings this afternoon. I think the budgeting has been itemized well and Kurt has done a fantastic job of detailing the expenses of living in the apartment.

"Thank you, sir." Kurt said.

"What I am going to disagree with is the division of the costs. Kurt, I can see how much you have taken on to make this work for you and your friend. It's very noble of you to be willing to take on the lion's share of the costs to give your friend the chance to make a good life for himself that he would otherwise not have had."

"Thank you, sir."

"What you need to realize is that I am unwilling for you to shoulder so much of the burden on your own. I want the division of the costs to be more equitable, just as you wanted to do with Sam. Sam can still work, but he still needs to be able to maintain his grades and portfolio work as you mentioned. But you need to consider that you will have to maintain your grades and spend a lot of time practicing to do well enough to keep the merit-based scholarship that you have received as well."

"I know, sir. Sam and I are not unfamiliar with hard work."

"Yes, Sebastian and Lisette have both mentioned your work ethic. And while I can appreciate that, there is also a fine line between being noble and being pig-headed."

"Yes, sir. I don't want to cause trouble."

"I know. I'm sure that enough trouble has found you over your lifetime in Lima to keep you as far away from trouble as possible."

"Yes, sir."

"I want you to let me buy a washer and dryer and have them delivered to the apartment. This is something I would have done for Sebastian if he ended up living in an apartment on his own with the hook-ups available. If there's a specific make and model that you would prefer, please have Sebastian send me that information."

"Yes, sir."

"Since Sam is unable to contribute to the cost of the rent and you were planning to pay that all on your own, I would like to offer to pay half rather than one third as you had suggested. I don't want your expenses to go up because Sebastian is moving in as well."

"Actually, if you pay half, it would make my costs go down because the 2-bedroom does not cost twice as much as the 1-bedroom was going to cost. It's only about half again as much. So, you paying half would lower my rent cost by 25%. And by providing a washer and dryer, both of our expenditures will go down because we won't have to pay to use a laundromat."

"Paying half of the rent, one third of the electricity, buying the washer and dryer and providing Sebastian with a credit card to purchase his food, gasoline and personal supplies with will cost me less than his room and board would have. I will also add the renter's insurance to my policy because I can get a better price than what you were quoted. That's due to the fact that I have quite a few things insured through the same company and I get multi-policy discounts."

"Thank you, sir."

"So, we are agreed then. So, in the end, we are both saving money. I will pay what I have stated and we will both save money over our previously projected costs for this coming school year."

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you, Dad."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Smythe."

"No, thank you, Kurt. You've given my son something invaluable. You have a good head on your shoulders and I wish you the best in your studies this fall and to Sam as well. Once things are settled, perhaps I can help him sell some of his artwork to people who are looking to update their offices with new pieces. If either of you is good with computers, creating a website and an online store might help jumpstart his career as well. The painting in the photo Sebastian sent is quite good."

"Thank you. I'll tell him that you liked it, sir. Maybe he can find someone to help him with a website or he can learn to design one in school in Hartford."

"Kurt, please give Sebastian the contact information for rent payment so that I can set that up my share on autopay from the bank. Also, the electric company. Please set up a budget plan so that your bill is the same each month. I want to be able to set up an autopay for Sebastian's portion of the electricity as well.

"Yes, sir. I will get that information to him as soon as possible."

"Well, it was nice talking with you, Kurt."

"You too, sir."

"Sebastian, please text me later with the details on your arrival and the address of the apartment so that I can change the delivery of your car and your boxes, as well as the other information you already heard me request."

"Yes, Dad. I'll send you all of that information as soon as I can. Kurt has already set up an online account for the electric bill. He's quite efficient."

"I can see that."

"Well, good evening Sebastian."

"Good night, Dad."

Lisette said, "Thank you, Reid." as she picked up the phone, turning the speaker off. She walked into her bedroom, continuing her conversation with Reid in private.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt was already in bed when Sebastian came back from the shower. Sebastian turned off the light and climbed into bed with him. He slid in close and put his head on Kurt's chest. Kurt kissed him on the top of the head.

"Well, the talk with my dad seemed to go well. Are you really okay with his offer?"

"Yes, it's fine. As we said, we are both going to spend less than we had budgeted for, so it's a win/win. Aggravating your dad just so I could spend MORE money each month seemed like a lose/lose proposition for me. I want to get along with your family."

"I don't think you have to worry on that front. Dad is impressed with your work ethic and planning skills and your all around 'take charge, get it done' attitude. And my mom really likes you."

"Was she okay about the rings? I haven't known her long enough to tell when she might be bluffing."

"She was fine. I'd shown her that book before when she'd gone with me to that library. She knew how much I liked the poesy rings. She might be surprised at how soon we are wearing them, but I don't think she's shocked or upset or anything, if that's what you're worried about."

"What will your grandparents think?"

"I think that your grandparents and my grandparents were already discussing our future together when we were visiting the castles in the Loire Valley," Sebastian laughed quietly.

"Well, I wish I could say that things will go so smoothly with my family, but I am certain that it will not. I have no intention of hiding our relationship, but I do wish I could shield you from the seemingly inevitable showdown."

"I'm kind of confused. I know you've explained it before, but it still makes no sense."

"I've come to the conclusion that it won't ever make sense. Logic would dictate that my dad should change his stance. Maybe that will happen some day. I hope it's soon."

"Well, we can hope. But we can also just keep living our lives and going forward."

"Carole said that Rachel and Finn are still planning to get married."

"Do you not think they should?"

"The problem I have with it is that they don't really have any common interests or goals and I guess even more than that is that they are both super immature. Finn spends all of his time playing video games, watching movies or TV and just 'hanging out', mostly with Puck. He never attempted to do well in school. Other than a brief time of working to cover the cost of some damages he caused, he's not held a job. He's helped out occasionally at the shop, but only when Dad specifically asked him to. Carole still gives him an allowance. Rachel is single-mindedly focused on being a Broadway star. Her dads have always given her whatever she wanted. She's never worked an hour in her life. Her dream is Broadway. Finn has no interest in living in New York."

"So, you had to work and Finn just got an allowance and wasn't required to work?"

"It was one of those blended family concessions. Carole wasn't willing to change what she had done with Finn for the first 17 years of his life when she and my dad got married a year and a half ago. They worked out a budget plan that was equitable and Carole and my dad each deposit a pre-determined amount of money into a joint account to pay all of the household expenditures. My dad is paying off his medical bills on his own. Carole gives Finn his allowance out of her own discretionary funds each month. Compromise."

"Doesn't seem fair, but okay."

"Well, if there's anything I learned young, it was that life wasn't fair. I just let it go. Being angry about something that I had absolutely no say in made no sense. How Finn got his spending money wasn't really a high priority on my list when my life was a living hell at school. Don't forget that they got married the weekend before I transferred to Dalton. So, other than school breaks, I wasn't even really living with Finn at the time. Carole has always been super sweet to me and never treated me badly and she loves my dad. That was good enough for me. If she wanted to give Finn money instead of making him work for it, who was I to tell her differently?"

"Very mature reasoning."

"Or very nihilistic. At the time, I felt like giving up in a lot of ways. Why fight another losing battle was probably more like it."

"So, you are not opposed to them getting married because of their age. You just don't see how they can end up being happy."

"Remember when you and I talked about how we can do everything and nothing together?"

"Of course."

"They can't do anything together and they absolutely could not pull off doing nothing together. It's like they don't work well together, but they can't stand to be apart. They got together, broke up, got together, she cheated on him, broke up, got back together. They don't even eat the same food. He's the junk food king and a carnivore that shuns vegetables. She's vegan. He hates vegan food and can't cook for himself. They don't like the same kind of movies. They don't listen to any of the same kind of music. She doesn't like sports. They literally have nothing in common except the fact that they both like to sing."

"Do they compromise and take turns choosing? Because people don't have to enjoy the same things to get along. Some couples are the 'opposites attract' type."

"Now, that I'm really thinking about it. I think maybe it just comes down to the fact that Rachel has to be the center of attention at all times. It's all about her goals, her life, her singing, her movie choice, her activity choice. Finn's role is one of just being there for her. Rachel's idea of compromise is to badger the person that disagrees with her until the other person changes their mind and agrees with her. Finn completely lacks a goal or motivation. But by being with Rachel he doesn't need to have one of his own, she had provided one for him. His goal became making her happy. And maybe that would have worked for a while if she had gotten into NYADA and he had gone ahead to New York with her and found a job he enjoyed and eventually found a life goal of his own."

Kurt paused, then continued, "You know the Shakespeare quote 'All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players'?"

"Yes, of course."

"I think the best way to describe Rachel is that she sees herself as both the director and the lead performer and everyone else merely has a supporting role."

"So, everyone in her life is there as a way to help her achieve her goal?"

"Only if they are in her play. Those with roles in her life are stepping stones to help her on her way or maybe even a helping hand or guide. She sees people who don't fit into those roles as obstacles to overcome, if they have some sort of effect on how things 'should be'. If they do not affect her life, their existence is irrelevant and unacknowledged. She just views herself as more worthy of reaching her goal than other people. She is really convinced that she deserves success more than other people."

"Will you go to the wedding if they get married?"

"If I can. If they plan it at the last minute, it would be unlikely that I would be able to. I won't be in the wedding party though. I'm going to be too far away to be of any help. But Finn is family now. If I can make it, I will go because of that."

"That makes sense."

"Speaking of why I wouldn't be able to just go last minute, you know that when we get to Connecticut that I will be working quite a bit more than I will during the school year, right?"

"I heard you say something about it to Carole, but I wasn't thinking about that at the time. Something else you said had caught my attention." He tipped his head up and kissed Kurt. "I hadn't actually thought about it since then."

"The owner is using me to cover for his other employees' summer vacation weeks and individual vacation days. That's what would make getting off so hard. I'm likely to work 40-hour weeks, maybe more. So, for the first six weeks, you'll be home a lot more than I will. But by the end of those six weeks, I will have saved up enough to buy the furniture I've been keeping in my Ikea cart."

"I'll do the cleaning and cooking during those weeks, then. It's something I can do to save you time when you are home. Then, we'll have more time together."

"You're a keeper, you know." Kurt scooted down and kissed him.

"I hope so."

"I know so. Can you turn on your side?"

Sebastian turned over and Kurt scooted up behind him and got comfortable. "Do you mind being the little spoon sometimes?" Kurt asked.

"No. I like it. It makes me feel like you're willing to protect me."

"Well, that's true. I am. That's the main reason I want to stay away from Lima, Rachel, and anyone else who is going to hassle us. I want to protect us and what we have together. They don't know you. They will judge without knowing the story, which I am not going to tell them. I just want you to know that I won't listen to anything they say and I don't want you to listen either. They don't get to choose who I love. That's my choice. And I choose you."

Sebastian just lay there in silence.

"Bas, mon choix, are you okay?"

"Better than okay. You just caught me by surprise." He pulled their intertwined hands to his lips and kissed Kurt's knuckles. "I love you too, mon ange."

They lay there quietly for a while.

Sebastian asked, "Do you think there's a chance that if you told Rachel that you weren't going to New York that you could then be removed from her 'cast list'? That she might stop trying to interfere in your life?"

"I never really thought about it that way because she and I were always cast together in her version of life, with her in the lead and me in the supporting role. She wanted someone to be with her. She enjoyed the idea of me being there. She wanted us to both get into NYADA, but she still expected to be the star. Of course, I didn't agree with her vision, but I didn't argue, much like Finn, because it is easier to let her have her way than to deal with her badgering. But you might be right. If she knew that I could no longer be of any help in her quest for NYADA and Broadway fame, she might just stop caring what I do. Maybe I could exist outside her 'play'."

"It's something to think about anyway. Let's get some sleep. We're off to the Louvre tomorrow."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next morning the were off early to arrive at the Louvre when it opened. They got breakfast and coffee on the way there. Before they got to the front of the line, Kurt got a phone call.

He answered. " _Hello_?"

" _Turn around, sweetheart._ " He turned and saw his grandparents waving from about 20 feet back.

He turned the phone off and waved at them. They shook their heads, indicating for Kurt to stay in line where he was. When he and Sebastian got where they could get their tickets, Sebastian bought two for Amélie and Lucien. They waited where they could be seen and handed the tickets to them before they got to the counter to pay.

" _I'm surprised to see you here,_ " Kurt said. There were hugs and kisses in all directions.

" _Lisette called us last night and told us your plans. We thought we'd join you two. It's been quite a while since we've been here. She told us how you will be staying for two extra weeks, maybe more. We were thrilled. We enjoyed your concert for us the other night so much. It's been just wonderful having you here._ "

" _I love it here. I didn't want to leave. I was secretly, or maybe not so secretly, glad that Sebastian's conference at Yale was cancelled because then I could stay here longer._ "

" _I can't say that I was all that disappointed that it was cancelled either,_ " Sebastian added.

" _Lisette said that the two of you had other news that she wouldn't tell us, citing that she would leave it to you to surprise us with it, but seeing the two of you walk over here with your hands entwined pretty much gave away the surprise, not that we are actually surprised. We suspected not long after you got here, but we were convinced over the weekend. We think it's great._ "

" _Thanks, Grandma. We're excited too. Shall we start to look around? I'm the only one who's never been here and now I have three fabulous guides._ "

Lucien spoke up, " _Why don't we start with my favorite part and then Amélie's. That way if we get too tired before you two are ready to leave we will have seen those sections with you._ "

" _That sounds good,_ " Kurt said. " _We'll follow you,_ " which they did, still holding hands. Kurt gave Sebastian's hand a squeeze and when he looked over, he smiled at Sebastian who was already grinning from Kurt's affectionate hand squeeze.

Lucien led the way to the 2nd floor and they started in the Northern European paintings section. They worked their way through that area and then moved on to French paintings. Afterwards, they went down one level to see more paintings from France and ones from Spain and Italy. Amélie and Lucien were impressed with both boys' knowledge of art and history.

" _You boys seem to know quite a bit about art. I'm impressed,_ " said Lucien. " _Is this common in American schooling? I didn't have the impression that it was._ "

" _No, Grandpa,_ " Kurt replied. " _Sebastian and I both took AP Art History this past year._ "

Sebastian said, " _The AP Classes are sort of the American version of IB classes. They're advanced classes and they are not part of the required curriculum._ "

" _Well, I think it's great that you boys are learning things outside the required basics,_ " Amélie added.

" _Yes, Sebastian and I took quite a few AP classes. We won't get our scores for another month or so, though._ "

" _Scores?_ " asked Lucien.

Sebastian responded, " _Yes. At the end of the course, there is a comprehensive 3-hour exam. We took the exams back in May. They are scored from 1-5. Kurt and I will get either advanced placement into higher level college courses or actual credit for college courses if we get high enough scores on the tests we took._ "

" _My school offers credit. Sebastian's offers quicker advancement, mostly._ "

" _Do a lot of kids takes these exams?_ " Amélie asked.

" _Overall, in the whole country, yes. I think I read that somewhere around 25% of all high school students take at least one AP course, but it's not uniform across schools. At Dalton, where I went last year and where Sebastian went this year, I think most kids take at least a few in junior and more in senior year. But at McKinley, where I went every year, except last year, no one takes AP courses because they aren't even offered. The school is too small and understaffed._ "

" _Kurt studied all of the material on his own, in addition to his regular coursework at McKinley,_ " Sebastian bragged about Kurt.

" _His mother was very studious as well,_ " Lucien said to Sebastian.

" _Well, she definitely always encouraged me to be curious and follow my dreams._ "

After several hours of browsing and conversation, everyone had gotten hungry. " _Why don't we go sit outside and I'll go get all of us some sandwiches? You three can stay and talk more and I'll be back as quickly as I can. Is there anything I should avoid?_ " he asked Kurt's grandparents.

" _Thank you, dear. And we'll eat anything. We're not picky,_ " Amélie answered for both of them.

The four of them went outside and Sebastian gave Kurt a quick kiss and headed off.

" _He's a nice boy. He cares about you. We can tell,_ " Amélie said.

" _He is. He said he thought that you two and his grandparents were talking about us behind our backs this past weekend,_ " Kurt laughed.

" _It was all good things. We were just noticing how the two of you behaved together. You both seemed to like each other very much, but both of you were also hesitant._ "

" _His grandparents said that he had been through something bad and that he doesn't trust easily, but they could see that you had won him over. The four of us were just really glad to see our grandsons so happy,_ " Lucien commented.

" _I'm not sure if Lisette said anything. It's not a secret, so it's okay if she did. Sebastian is going to move in with Sam and me in Connecticut._ "

" _That will be good to have someone else to split expenses with. I know you said that you'd be cutting it close each month on the expenses,_ " Lucien said.

"Does your father know?" Amélie asked.

" _No. He doesn't. I haven't told him yet. I know it will create conflict either way, whether I tell him now or I tell him later. So, right now, I'm postponing the conflict. He still struggles with some things. He hasn't actually met Sebastian yet. Maybe you two can be my character witnesses,_ " he teased. " _I know you don't speak to my dad that often, but if he really hassles me, I may tell him to call you and get your perspective._ "

" _That's fine, dear. We'll tell him how sweet Sebastian is to you,_ " Amélie practically cooed.

" _He is a sweetie. I'm so glad I got to come here this summer. I've gotten a whole new perspective to start college with._ "

" _We're glad you came too,_ " said Lucien.

They continued to talk and eventually Sebastian came back with four different sandwiches. Kurt's grandparents were given first choice. Then the boys each took half of two the remaining sandwiches, sharing as the often did.

" _So, what are we going to go back in and see?_ " Sebastian asked.

" _I'd like to walk through the Decorative Arts of Europe section with you boys,_ " Amélie answered. So, that's where they headed. They spent a couple of hours looking through the section. By then, Kurt's grandparents were ready to head back home. They hugged and said their goodbyes. Kurt and Sebastian went back to looking around the museum until it was almost closing time.

On the way home, they talked about all of the pieces they had seen. Kurt did more talking than Sebastian because he was still so excited.

" _Maybe we'll go back again before we go to Connecticut,_ " Sebastian suggested.

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When they got back, Lisette was watching TV. " _There are leftovers in the fridge, if you're hungry. I ordered an American style pizza. You could eat it cold like the rest of the American teenagers, or you could be more civilized and put it the oven and warm it up,_ " she teased.

" _Thanks, Lisette. I'll go turn the oven on and I'll at least eat my pieces warm,_ " teasing Sebastian.

" _Hey, now. I'm no pizza barbarian. Put my slices in too please,_ " he laughed.

Kurt put all of the pizza onto a baking sheet and stuck it in the oven on warm.

"Yes, sir," Kurt said in his best English butler voice. "I'll even put it on a plate and serve it with a fork and knife, if it will please you, sir," he continued, bowing slightly.

Sebastian tried to grab him, but Kurt was fast and slipped free and ran toward the bedroom. Sebastian nearly caught him, but Kurt managed to slip free. But then he attempted to climb over the bed to escape, but he didn't quite make it. Sebastian caught him by the ankle. He slid him back towards him and then flipped him over onto his back. "Gotcha!"

"Uh huh," Kurt was trying not to laugh. "What makes you think that I was REALLY trying to get away? Maybe I wanted you to catch me."

"Why would you want me to catch you?"

Kurt quickly rose up on his elbows and kissed Sebastian.

"Oh, I see," Sebastian said.

"I just wanted to get you in here where I could do that without your mom being able to see us."

Kurt sat up and slipped his shoes off. Sebastian did the same. Kurt pulled him to standing and gave him another kiss. "I'm going to go take a quick shower. Watch the pizza, okay?"

Kurt was very quick and they changed places. When Sebastian got out, the pizza was ready to eat. Kurt had put it on plates, but didn't actually get any silverware out.

"Oh, good. It's done. I'm hungry," Sebastian said when he entered the kitchen in his pajamas. They sat in the living room with Lisette and ate. Sebastian took the plates back and washed everything while Kurt talked with Lisette about the plans for the next day.

" _My father asked if he could join you tomorrow for the meeting. He was a very good financial advisor. He is mostly retired, but he does still manage portfolios for a few people. He offered to go with you for support and in an advisory role, in case you need someone._ "

" _That would be great. I really have no idea what I'm doing and I have no idea what's in the envelope. I've been curious, but I decided to wait until someone professional could help me._ "

" _My mother also wants to come,_ " she laughed. " _She's a lawyer. She's mostly retired as well, but she's still licensed._ "

" _That's fine. They're both welcome._ "

" _Are you two coming with me?_ " he asked.

" _I have to go to work still, unfortunately. That's one reason why my parents wanted to go. They discussed it with your grandparents. The four of them decided that my parents were better suited to helping due to their backgrounds._ "

" _Sebastian and I will discuss him going later. What time should I be ready to go?_ "

" _My parents will pick you up at 12:30. Just be downstairs waiting for them and you can hop in the car and go._ "

" _Thank you for arranging all of this. I really appreciate it. I'll be ready on time._ "

" _Good night, Mom._ "

" _Good night, Lisette._ "

" _Night boys._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian and Kurt got into bed and snuggled up. "So, are you going to come with me?"

"I can't. When I found out the date for your appointment, I made my doctor's appointment for the same time so that you wouldn't have to be bored sitting in a doctor's office waiting on me all afternoon while you were here."

"Doctor?"

"Yes. I wanted to have my annual check up with the doctor I've always gone to while I'm here."

"That makes sense."

"I should be back home before you get back. Just text me when you get here and I'll come down and let you in."

"Okay." He leaned over and kissed Sebastian and slid down in the bed. "Tonight, I'm the little spoon."

Sebastian slid down behind him and pulled him close. "Good night, mon ange, I love you."

"I love you too, Bas."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

At 2:00 in the morning, Kurt's cell phone starting vibrating. He groggily sat up and grabbed it.

Kurt moved as quickly as he could out of the room, shut the door behind him and walked to the far corner of the living room. "Hello?" he said very quietly.

"Kurt?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Did I wake you up?"

"Dad, it's 2:00am here. Of course, you woke me up."

"Sorry, I'm always getting that time difference thing mixed up in my mind."

"Why did you call? Never mind answering that right now. Let me call you back before you run your phone bill up." Kurt hung up and called him back.

Burt answered. "Well, I haven't spoken with you since last week and since then you decided to stay two more weeks in France with Sebastian. How are things?"

"Dad, everything is great. That's why I wanted to stay. I love it here. Last Saturday we - meaning Sebastian's grandparents, Sebastian, Lisette, Grandma, Grandpa and I - went to visit these amazing castles. Then Sunday we went to the coast and to these towns that haven't changed since like 200 years ago. Monday Sebastian and I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa at his grandparents all day and he and I cooked this 3-course meal for all of them. And then Lisette arranged for me to use a small chapel and give them a private concert Monday night. Today Sebastian and I spent the whole day with Grandma and Grandpa at the Louvre."

"You sound very excited about all of that."

"I am. It was really fantastic. Tomorrow I have an appointment to go over whatever is in that envelope from Mom."

"I guess I just feel like I'm losing you even sooner than I was planning to."

"I'm sorry, Dad, but when the opportunity came up to stay here longer, I had to take it. I don't know when or if I'll ever get to come back and grandparents don't live forever. I want to be here. I don't want to upset you, but I'm not changing my mind and flying back to Lima this weekend."

Burt just sighed.

"I know you wanted to take everyone to DC for the final week I would have been in Ohio. I'm not sure how you arranged that, but even if I were there, I wouldn't have gone. I just can't spend a whole week with Rachel right now, Dad. I'm not going into details because it's personal, but she and I had a falling out and I'm not ready to forgive and move on yet. Maybe in time and if she ever is actually sorry, I'll reconsider."

"I didn't realize things were that bad between the two of you."

"You were gone a lot and I was really busy. Carole would know how much I was avoiding her the last three weeks of school. I don't want to put you and Carole in the middle, but that's just how things are right now. I didn't even realize how much I needed to be away from the toxicity that I had become so accustomed to in Lima. Being here with Grandma and Grandpa and Sebastian and his family has been such an amazing experience. It's made me realize how different my life could be. When I live in an environment where my very existence isn't an affront to people and where no one feels like they have the right to tell me how to live my life, it's amazing how liberating that can be."

"Okay. I'm going to let this drop. Your grandparents haven't seen you for your entire 19-year life that you spent with me. I'm not going to begrudge them the next few weeks. But when you get back, I think you and I need to have a long talk about all the things you've been hiding from me all of these years. There seems to be a lot that you haven't told me."

"Well, in all honesty, Dad, telling you now won't make a difference because that part of my life is over. Knowing how things CAN be has made me realize that I won't ever subject myself to how things HAVE been ever again. I have gained a sense of self-respect here in the last three weeks that I have never had before. It is hard to explain to someone on the outside looking in what it's like to live your whole life with people looking down on you and judging your right to exist. Even without specific details, you can think about that, Dad. When people ridicule you every day of your life for something that you can't change about yourself - it's just really hard. You can think about how much you really want to know and text me with some times that you have available to talk and I'll call you."

"Okay."

"DC is a lot closer to Connecticut than Ohio is. I will be visiting you and Carole there. That way I can still spend time with the two of you, but I won't have to deal with the people in Lima anymore. Maybe in time I will be able to go there again, but I don't know right now. I just know that I won't go back to feeling like I did all the time there. I know that you always told me that it was fine to be myself and that I should be myself, but I just don't think you realized that even though you meant it, you didn't always live it. No one else, even the people I was friends with, really wanted me to be myself. I'm learning to let go and really be myself here."

"I'm honestly a little confused by what you're saying about my part in whatever went on in Lima, but I do want you to tell me. I'll give Carole that schedule she asked for and the two of you can work things out for you to come to DC. She has more time to talk during the day than I do and that way I won't make the mistake of calling you in the middle of the night over there."

"It's okay, Dad. I'll just go back to sleep when we hang up. I'll call you at a time that will work for both of us. Just text me some options. And think about how much you actually want to know before I call. Good night, Dad."

"Bye, kiddo."

Kurt went back to the bedroom quietly and tried to get back into bed without waking Sebastian up, but as soon as he lay down, Sebastian pulled him closer and he realized that Sebastian was wide awake.

"I'm sorry my phone woke you up."

"I just want to make sure you're okay," he said kissing the back of Kurt's neck gently.

"I'm okay. But I think the parental showdown that's been looming is approaching more quickly than I had anticipated. My dad wants to talk soon. He's going to text me with times he's available and then I'm going to call him. I told him to think carefully about how much he really wants to know. I'll follow his lead, but it may get ugly."

"You know I'm here for you, right?"

Kurt turned over and faced Sebastian. "Yes, I know and that means so much to me." Kurt scooted closer until Sebastian flipped onto his back and let Kurt lay his head on his chest.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian woke before Kurt and was on his way back into the bedroom when he saw that Kurt had woken up while he was making their breakfast and he was sitting in the bed, legs extended in front of him, staring at his phone in a daze.

"Kurt?"

Kurt blinked a few times and looked up. "Yes?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Not really. I got an email from Dad that he sent not too long after I got off the phone with him. I guess Rachel was at the house when Dad called me from the living room and Rachel overheard him."

"Why is that a problem?"

"He actually said I was with you in France where she could hear. Everyone assumed that I was in Kentucky with Sam, just like I had hoped they would."

Sebastian put the bowls of yogurt down on his desk and climbed in bed and sat next to Kurt, pulling his knees up to his chest, crisscrossing his arms on his knees and just listened.

"So, Rachel, who had been in the kitchen to get Finn a snack, decided to tell Dad everything she knew about you - being the shrew that she is. And then Finn came looking for her when she didn't come back with his snack and he heard her talking to Dad and added his two cents into the conversation."

While Kurt was talking, Sebastian lowered his head to his knees.

"Hey, Bas. I'm not changing my mind. I told you that. I keep my word. Those things are in the past, where they will stay." He tried to get Sebastian to look up. "Come on, Bas, look at me. Come closer."

Sebastian looked up and repositioned himself so that he was straddling Kurt's lap and he put his arms around Kurt's neck and leaned into Kurt's shoulder. Kurt ran his hands up and down Sebastian's back attempting to comfort him.

"I'm so sorry."

"There's no need for you to be sorry anymore. Bas, mon choix, you have apologized more than enough. I love you. It's not your fault that Rachel can be a vindictive harridan. But it does strengthen my resolve to stay away from Lima, as if I needed even more reasons."

Kurt hugged Sebastian and held him close.

"Not only is she an interfering pest, she's a scandalmonger. Everyone in New Directions knows by now. When Sam's family was living in that cheap motel room, Quinn was helping him by babysitting his little sister and brother sometimes, and I took clothes, toys and snacks to them and watched them too. Rachel and Finn had set out to spy on Quinn, whom Finn was dating at the time and tailed her to the motel. Then they returned staking out the motel after that to see if she went back. They saw me there as well. Rachel publicly accused both me and Quinn of having an elicit affair with Sam."

"What?" Sebastian pulled back and moved to sit next to Kurt again.

"Yeah, in Glee. I said nothing and didn't defend myself because it wasn't my place to tell Sam's personal problems to anyone. Sam didn't want me to take the heat and he stood up in Glee and told everyone that he was homeless and his family was living there. So, if you think she's going to let this drop, she won't. I thought Dad would do a better job of not talking to me where anyone could overhear him. I didn't get to her in time to blackmail her into keeping her mouth shut. I'm sorry Sebastian. I didn't want things to go this way. I just thought I could deal with it when I got back."

"None of this is your fault. I was the one that made stupid choices."

"We've all done stupid things. Your actions may have been questionable, but your motives had my best interest at heart. That's what matters to me. So, anyway, I now have an appointment to speak with my dad at 8:00 tonight since that's the earliest he could get away from meetings today. He rearranged his other meetings so that we can talk."

"Do you want the yogurt I brought in or do you want me to put it in the fridge. I don't just want to leave it sit."

"Let's eat it." They ate in silence.

Trying to lighten the mood, Sebastian changed the subject. "So, I forgot to tell you yesterday that I did set up a few dance lessons for us when I called Tuesday morning. We have our first one tomorrow."

"Ooh, that will be fun. Do you know of any place I can get some heeled shoes or boots to wear?"

"Actually, I do. We can go to the Bloch store where I used to buy my dance shoes. It's about a 20-minute walk. You up for it?"

"Sure, maybe it will help me get my mind off of things and get my focus back on being here with you, which is what I want to do."

"Okay, then go get dressed. But try your boots on that we got the other day. Make sure there's nothing wrong with them. We just grabbed them and left. We can exchange them tomorrow when we go out if there's anything wrong with them."

Kurt got dressed while Sebastian did the dishes quickly. He was lacing up the boots when Sebastian came back in the room. "They're soft. They fit just fine."

"Great. Go put your other boots on and I'll get dressed and we'll leave." Kurt put his boots on in the living room. Sebastian came out a few minutes later carrying a small satchel that he had put his jazz shoes in.

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When they got to the dance shoe store, Kurt tried on the available options. Sebastian put his jazz shoes on and he and Kurt tried dancing a bit. The shoes made Kurt the same height as Sebastian, which seemed like it might be good enough for what they wanted to do. Kurt also decided to buy himself a pair of quality black leather slip-on dance shoes, figuring that he would need them for stage work at school at some point in time. He also bought a good pair of leather ballet slippers because he knew he'd need them as well.

"I think these heeled shoes may even be useful at school since it would give me the option of being paired with a taller girl. And these dance shoes are much more comfortable that then ones I have at home. They're sort of a cross between a ballet shoe and a jazz shoe. And I have to have ballet shoes and I don't own any." Kurt said as they stood in line to pay.

On the way out, Kurt said, "Don't forget, you wanted to make chili for your mom tonight. We need to grab the ingredients for that on our way back now."

"That's right. I almost forgot. This way," he said walking north. "It's not that far." They shopped quickly and headed home. They grabbed something to eat for lunch while they were shopping. When they got back to Sebastian's, they quickly put everything away and ate. Afterwards, Kurt went to freshen up and grab his document holder and put it in his satchel.

"Do I look okay? Should I dress up more?"

"You look fine. I'll be here when you get back." He gave Kurt a hug and a kiss and walked Kurt down to wait for Mr. and Mrs. Delarue. Kurt didn't think that calling them Mamie and Papi was appropriate in this situation, but he actually wasn't sure. They arrived just a few minutes after he got outside.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian walked over the car with Kurt and greeted his grandparents. Kurt got into the backseat of Èduard and Charlotte's car. " _Thank you for picking me up and taking me. I really appreciate it. You and your family have been very kind to me._ " Kurt waved to Sebastian as they drove away. Sebastian was heading off to the doctor's office the other direction on foot.

" _You're quite welcome, Kurt,_ " Charlotte replied. " _We're glad to help._ "

" _What should I call you in this meeting. Mamie and Papi seems way to informal. Should I call you by your first names or M. and Mme Delarue?_ "

" _I think it's fine if you call us Mamie and Papi like we asked. Of course, the others will refer to us by our surnames as well as referring to you by yours._ "

It didn't take long to arrive at the bank. They were ushered into a large office with a table that sat eight people. The bank had two representatives present, M. Rougie, a lawyer and Mme Loisel, a financial advisor. Everyone was introduced properly and they all sat down.

" _M. Hummel, you have brought all of your documents, I assume._ "

" _Yes, sir._ " Kurt emptied his documents onto the table in front of him.

" _So, the document in question is in this envelope._ "

" _Yes._ "

" _May I?_ " Mme Loisel asked.

" _Yes, of course._ "

She used a letter opener and carefully opened it. She looked through the contents.

" _Is it okay, if I take this back to my office for a few minutes?_ "

" _Yes,_ " Kurt answered.

The two bank officials left. About ten minutes later, they returned. " _May I see one of your IDs. I need to check your birth date and I need to see your social security card._ "

Kurt handed over his birth certificate and social security card.

" _Well, then, everything seems to be in order. I'm sure that what I have to say is not what you expected. The contents of the envelope have nothing to do with your mother being French or any French documents._ "

" _Really?_ " Kurt asked surprised.

Mme Loisel spoke, " _It seems that your mother decided to make a small investment for you, probably thinking that she could maybe double or triple it at best by the time you graduated. But she made a very wise choice and invested in a company that was at a low point at the time. She bought stock in Apple for you._ "

Kurt was speechless.

Mme Loisel continued, " _Her original investment in the shares she bought was around $100. Were you to cash them in today, they would yield about $37,000. If Apple stock continues to rise as it has been lately, that could increase quite a bit. Of course, that is not official advice on what to do with your stock shares. If you were to select me as your financial advisor, I could make suggestions. Or you have brought someone with you who is also capable of taking on that role. M. Delarue is licensed to do that as well._ "

" _So, my mom bought $100 worth of Apple stock in my name not long after I was born and it's worth $37,000 right now?_ "

" _That is correct,_ " M. Rougie replied.

" _I'm in shock. My parents didn't have much money when I was born. That was a big risk on her part. Wow, I don't know what to say._ "

" _Well, there's not much more to say until you choose someone to help you make decisions on what to do with the stock shares that you have. Thank you for coming in today. I wish you the best of luck with whatever you choose to do,_ " Mme Loisel said and then she and M. Rougie stood, offered handshakes and left the room.

" _Well, Kurt, you have some things to think about, sweetheart._ " Charlotte started gathering up Kurt's documents and putting them back in the sleeve, zipping it once she had put everything in. " _Come on, sweetie. Let's give them their office back._ "

"Of course," Kurt said in English, standing up. "I feel like I'm being punked."

" _What does that mean?_ " Èduard asked. " _My English is decent, but certainly not up-to-date._ "

" _The word 'punked' is used when someone pulls a trick on someone else. There are these TV shows where elaborate tricks are set up and then played on people. I feel like I'm on one of those TV shows and I'm waiting for the prankster to jump out and say_ 'You've been punked.'"

" _Well, dear, I am certain that is not the case. I am not sure if we have TV shows like that because I don't watch much TV,_ " Charlotte said, " _but I am certain that you are not having a trick played on you._ "

Èduard encouraged Kurt, " _Come on. Let's go get in the car and we can talk more if you'd like or we can just take you back to Lisette's. You can call us whenever you want, if you want to talk._ "

" _Okay. Thank you._ "

They went out to the car and rode to Lisette's in silence. Kurt was just trying to process everything. When he pulled up he thanked them again and got out of the car and texted Sebastian.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt waited between the two sets of doors, being wary of standing on the sidewalk with those documents in his bag. Sebastian opened the inner set of doors quickly and they headed up to the apartment.

" _You look like you've seen a ghost,_ " Sebastian said.

Kurt walked straight to the bedroom, pulled out his document sleeve and put it directly into his suitcase. He sat down on Sebastian's desk chair and took his boots off.

"Can you just hold me? I feel like I'm losing touch with reality," he said in English.

Sebastian took his shoes off as well and pulled Kurt into a hug. "Do you want to lie down or go sit on the couch or just stand here? Whatever will help..."

"I think I'll go wash my face with cold water and then lie down, if that's okay."

"Anything is fine, really. I'll wait for you in here."

Kurt came back a few minutes later and sat on his side of the bed, then lay back flat on his back. Sebastian slid down and lay next to him flat on his back as well. He slid his hand over and gently took Kurt's hand.

"Is everything okay? You didn't find out something bad did you?"

"No, nothing bad. Just something so extraordinarily good that it seems unreal."

"Well, that's a relief."

"How did your doctor's appointment go?"

"100% clean bill of health for me."

"Excellent."

"It really is. The value of good health can never be overestimated."

"That's true."

"So, are you ready to tell me what happened?"

"Well, Mamie and Papi learned what 'punked' means."

Sebastian laughed. "Okay, that was not what I expected at all. In what context did that word come up so that you had to explain its meaning to them?"

"I was shocked and instead of speaking French, I said I felt like I was being punked."

"I see. So, now Mamie and Papi are one word wiser in English and you learned...?"

"That the $100 investment my mom made in my name when I was a few months old is worth $37,000 right now."

Sebastian sat straight up. "No wonder you said you felt like you'd been punked. That's amazing."

"It is and I have absolutely no idea what to do about it. Papi said to call him back when I was ready to talk about it. I was too out of it to make any decent decisions this afternoon."

Sebastian lay back down. "Okay. But just so you know, Papi is really good at this. That's how my family has so much money. His parents were well-to-do, but when he became a financial advisor, he took over their investments and made them a small fortune. He did the same with his own investments. That's why we can live in this apartment, which used to be Mamie and Papi's. When my mom and I came back to France, we moved in here and soon after they moved out to where they live now. They just gave this place to my mom. Papi had bought it back when he hadn't been out of college too long. It was as expensive then, but he managed to pull off the payments and as his investment revenues came in, he paid the place down. Otherwise, Mom and I would never be able to live somewhere like this. She makes decent money at _Vogue_ , but not the kind of money that could make payments on a place like this."

"So, how much does a place like this cost?"

"Do you really want to know? I've never been the type to flaunt my family's money."

"I know, Bas. You've never made me feel like less of a person because I'm not in the same social class as you."

"Well, we could list this apartment for over two million euros."

"Oh, wow. I was not expecting you to say that at all."

"Living in Paris this close to the heart of the city isn't cheap. The deal my parents made was that my mom would pay for all of my schooling up through high school and that my dad would pay for me to go to college, provided that I went where he wanted me to go, which is Yale. So, my mom paid for me to go to private schools here in Paris where I got a top-notch education while living here at home, and then I spent last year at Dalton as you know. So, she paid for all of that. And now he will be paying for the rest. He let Papi help him with his investments as well. When my dad's father died, he inherited the house that we lived in, where you visited me, in Ohio. He also inherited some cash and investments. Papi helped him get those reinvested wisely and so, he has the money to send me to Yale."

"So, I should let Papi help me."

"Basically, yes."

"I'm convinced. I'll call him later, maybe tomorrow. Can we just take a nap? I'm exhausted."

"Anything you want."

Kurt put his pajamas on and got back in the bed. Sebastian followed along and did the same.

"Do you want some music?"

"That would be nice."

Sebastian played some soft classical music and they settled in for a nap. Sebastian didn't sleep that long and he got out of the bed very carefully and shut the bedroom door when he left the room. He very quietly assembled the chili and set it on to a very low simmer so it would be ready when his mom got home. He went back into his room quietly and grabbed the book he had been reading and got back into bed and read quietly until Kurt woke up later.

When Kurt woke up, Sebastian put his book down and slid down behind Kurt. "Are you feeling better, mon ange?"

"Physically, yes," he answered. "But the weight of the upcoming call this evening is weighing on me."

"I wish I could change something about that."

"I know."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They heard the front door close. " _I smell something delicious,_ " Lisette proclaimed as she came toward the kitchen.

Sebastian and Kurt went out to greet her. " _I made chili for dinner,_ " Sebastian said.

" _Mmm. My favorite American dish. Is it ready?_ "

" _Yes. I'll go put it in bowls and serve it. We bought crackers, but I can slice up bread if you'd rather have that._ "

" _Let's eat the crackers._ "

Kurt placed the crackers on a plate and put them on the table along with some cheese and fruit that Sebastian had already prepared. He and Lisette sat down. Sebastian carried out the bowls of chili.

" _Thank you. I'm going to be so spoiled by the time the two of you leave. When you're not here, I just eat boring dinners because I never want to go to the trouble of making something time-consuming just for myself._ "

" _You should go over to Mamie and Papi's more often. They'd love to have you and then you wouldn't eat alone so often._ "

" _You're right. I'll try._ "

" _This is really good, but why are you boys in your pajamas at dinner time?_ "

" _Kurt had a stressful night and didn't sleep well. Then he got another even more stressful email from his dad. And the trip with Mamie and Papi to the bank was not what he was expecting. So, when he came back he wanted to take a nap._ "

Lisette just nodded in understanding.

" _Is it okay if I tell your mom about the email?_ " Kurt asked.

" _Of course._ "

" _Rachel, my harridan of a possible future sister-in-law, took it upon herself to completely slander Sebastian last night to my dad after eavesdropping on the call he made to me in the middle of the night, which was at 8:00pm Ohio time._ "

" _Rachel is your stepbrother's girlfriend or I guess fiancée?_ "

Kurt nodded.

" _So, he rearranged his schedule for this afternoon and expects me to call him at 8:00pm Paris time to explain myself._ "

" _I see._ "

" _Rachel has done far worse things to me than Sebastian ever did, but she views all of her own life choices as reasonable because she is the sun and the rest of us are merely orbiting planets or moons of orbiting planets._ "

" _So, you don't even know exactly what she said, but you think your dad will believe her over you?_ "

" _Well, it doesn't really matter, does it? Sebastian did do things he regrets and she doesn't even have the correct context in which to place his actions. She will have provided her own contrived context and made him out to look really reprehensible._ "

" _Oh, honey,_ " Lisette said soothingly.

" _I had intended on confronting Rachel personally when I got back to Lima, before she had a chance to find out that Sebastian is my boyfriend. I had actually planned to ensure her silence by threatening to tell my dad what she had done to me. It would have been a more than a fair trade in my opinion. Her silence for mine. But now, because he was sitting out in the open and he said where I was and who I was with, she will have told everyone I know and twisted all of this._ "

" _Why is she so vindictive?_ "

" _Kurt got into NYADA and she didn't,_ " Sebastian interjected.

" _You got into NYADA? You are going to school in Hartford. NYADA is in New York,_ " she stated, confused.

" _Yes, to both of those. I am going to school in Hartford. And yes, I did get into NYADA and several other schools that I applied to. I would have had to borrow all of the money to go to NYADA. Hartford offered me a 4-year scholarship for tuition, fees, and books._ "

" _I see._ "

" _As Sebastian said, Rachel did not get into NYADA and she chose not to apply to any other schools._ "

" _Ah. Not a good choice._ "

" _She doesn't know that I turned down my NYADA acceptance. There are only a few people that know I'm going to Hartford. You, Reid, your parents, my grandparents, my parents, and three Dalton students. My stepbrother and the people I went to school with do not know. They also all assumed that I was in Kentucky with Sam since we left together, which is what I had actually hoped was the case. So, after her eavesdropping last night, everyone will know because her middle name should be 'gossip.'_ "

" _And she's going to be your sister-in-law?_ "

" _If my stepbrother goes through with it. I'm hoping that he doesn't._ "

" _Well, Sebastian and I will watch a movie out here tonight and give you privacy in the bedroom. If at any point in time, you want either one of us to talk to your dad, just come get us._ "

" _I appreciate that. This is going to be one of my least favorite conversations ever. When he called in the middle of the night last night, he asked me questions that he really doesn't want to know the answers to. I told him to think about how much truth he wants to hear. I'm not going to lie to him, but there are a lot of things he will find out that he'll wish he hadn't found out._ "

" _Why don't you and Sebastian go relax for a while before you have to call. I'll clean up. Oh, and before I forget, I'll get your brooch out and leave it here on the table for you._ "

" _Thanks._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt closed the door behind them as they went in. Sebastian turned around almost immediately. He pulled Kurt in close. " _It's going to be okay, mon ange. I know this is incredibly difficult. But your dad will come around eventually. Even if it takes longer than you want. You know he wants to keep you in his life._ "

" _I know he does._ "

" _Keep that in mind. I think it will help._ "

" _Mmm hmm. You know what helps?_ "

" _What?_ "

" _This - you holding me. It grounds me. It helps more than you know._ "

" _How about we move over to the bed? I'll give you a massage and you can relax before you call him._ "

" _Thank you._ " Kurt lay down and Sebastian sat next to him and rubbed his shoulders, which did help. After a few minutes, Sebastian lay down next to him and just traced patterns on his back. Kurt turned on his side and scooted back into Sebastian as the little spoon. They just lay snuggled up for a while. Kurt eventually turned over and faced Sebastian. He gave him a gentle kiss and said, " _Okay. I need to do this. I'll come out if I need to._ "

Sebastian kissed him and then got up and shut the door behind him as he left the room.


	16. Chapter 16

Kurt picked up his phone and dialed his dad.

"Hey, kiddo."

"Hi, Dad."

"I've heard an earful from Rachel and Finn since last night."

"I need to tell you up front that this conversation is happening now because you chose to call me in an area where you could be overheard. If you had stayed in your bedroom, or called me from anywhere that Rachel or Finn couldn't hear you, this would not have happened. You broke my trust. You knew that I did not want Rachel or Finn or anyone to know where I was except you and Carole. There was a reason why I had made that so clear."

"I apologize for that."

"That does not change the fact that you may have sealed the deal on me never spending any time in Lima. Sometimes people do things unintentionally that cannot be undone."

"I realize that, Son."

"I hope so. Last night, you said you wanted to know what I had been hiding from you. Did you decide how much of the truth you can handle? I hid things from you for a reason - to protect you, not to protect myself. What I have to say will NOT be things you want to know, trust me. None of them can be undone. And they will cause you a lot of anger."

"This sounds bad."

"I can be as vague or as specific as you want. You choose the level of detail."

"Okay, well just so you know, I am at home alone. Carole is at work and I told Finn to go be somewhere else until at least 4:00."

"Thank you."

"So, Rachel."

"She's a shrew."

"Now, Kurt."

"You said you wanted the truth. A shrew is a bad-tempered or aggressively assertive woman. She is both of those things. She is also a harridan and a harpy. She does whatever it takes to get what she thinks she deserves. What level of disclosure are you wanting? Vague, specific?"

"Um, well. She was quite specific with her list of grievances against Sebastian."

"I'm sure she was. That doesn't mean that she told the whole truth because there is no way she could have because she doesn't know the whole story. And the whole story is not mine to tell since it involves other people's personal lives."

"Okay. I get that. I want you to be very detailed about your specific grievance against Rachel."

"There's more than one, Dad."

"Fine. Tell me all of them."

"I'll tell you some of the most recent ones. One you know about - the election for class president. First, she ran against me because she didn't feel that her already bloated CV was good enough to get into NYADA. It was only after she got the role Maria and I got a ridiculously unimportant, non-singing part in the musical that she dropped out of the race. But then she stuffed the ballot box and got me disqualified and nearly suspended."

"Okay, most of that I knew."

"She and I needed the leads in _West Side Story_. First off, all of the Glee guys agreed not to audition for Tony, including Blaine. But then Blaine sang a Tony song for his audition and when he was asked to read for the role, he did. I went back in to try to convince the directors that I could play Tony. Rachel re-auditioned with me, but when it came time for us to kiss in the scene, she balked and turned away. The directors all laughed."

"Directors? These were teachers that laughed at you?"

"Yes, Dad. They were teachers and Artie, who was the student director. They all laughed."

"Keep going."

"When I eavesdropped in on the directors discussing the casting, it was stated that I was too much of a 'lady' to play Tony. I'm sure that Rachel refusing to kiss me did not help them see me as a leading man, not that they would have anyway, but she certainly didn't help. When Blaine was cast, Rachel was thrilled. She has always seen him as a leading man. If he were bi, she would have never gone after Finn again after she and Blaine kissed and went on that date. When Maria's part was going to be double cast, with Rachel splitting the role with Mercedes, she got so upset that Mercedes dropped out and didn't even participate in the play."

"Okay, but that's not exactly personal. She wasn't helpful, but she didn't really do anything spiteful to you."

"I'm not done. When she and Blaine were rehearsing, Artie suggested that they lacked sex appeal and seemed to not have experienced a true sexual awakening. Am I being specific enough?"

"I got it, kid."

"Okay, so she and Blaine decided to remedy that and made a pact with each other to resolve their lack of awakening."

"Be more specific."

"They made a pact to lose their virginities in order to play the roles of Tony and Maria more believably. So, she attempted to seduce Finn, but let a few words slip that tipped him off to her motives."

"And Blaine? Did he go through with this?"

"Level of disclosure, Dad?"

"Full."

"Okay. He got drunk and attempted to coerce me in the backseat of his car. I got out. He got upset. The next day, I got a half-assed apology about him being drunk at the time, but I didn't want to lose him and I didn't know about the pact. I gave him what he wanted that night when he was sober. I did not find out about the pact until the day he was at the house after singing that song to me in Glee at the end of April."

"I'm going to kill that punk."

"Now we're back to where I told you that you would get too angry if you knew the whole truth. Killing him will solve nothing. Pushing your blood pressure up will change nothing. If you can't maintain a semblance of control, this conversation ends now."

"Okay, okay. I'm taking deep breaths. I'm good. Are there other fairly recent things."

"The pact with Rachel feels recent because I only recently found out about it, even though it happened back in October."

"I get that."

"And there's what she did last night. She stuck herself in where she didn't belong and caused strife between you and me. You do realize that she didn't keep her newfound juicy news to herself last night, right? She's already told everyone in Glee Club that I'm consorting with the enemy. How is Sebastian 'the enemy'? Even if there is absolutely no explanation for what he did, how is someone that has graduated from high school and is on his way to college her 'enemy' or anyone else in the Glee Club's 'enemy'?"

"Well, we all know she's overly dramatic."

"That's an understatement."

"So, is what she said about him true?"

"That depends on what she said."

"That he flirted with Blaine and tried to steal him from you, which right this minute doesn't seem like that would have been such a bad thing. And that he threw a slushie at Blaine that was laced with rock salt in an attempt to harm you, but that Blaine jumped in front of you like a knight in shining armor, and that Blaine nearly lost his vision in one eye because of it. And that Sebastian attempted to blackmail her into dropping out of Regionals by threatening to post photoshopped nude photos of Finn online."

"Well, she is partially accurate. He did text with Blaine. Sebastian was not attempting to steal him from me. He was actually attempting to get me to see Blaine's true colors. The slushie incident did happen, but Blaine was the mastermind behind that."

"He masterminded a slushie being thrown at himself? That seems far-fetched."

"Well, Sebastian has the texts to prove it. Everyone was mad at Blaine because he had told Sebastian that we were planning on doing Michael Jackson songs for Regionals. And since the Warblers drew the first performance slot, Sebastian said that he was changing their set list to be Michael Jackson songs, so it would look like we were copycats. So, Blaine came up with the idea of having Sebastian slushie me, but that he would jump in front of the slushie saving me, which would make him look heroic. It would get him back into the New Directions' good graces and make Sebastian look bad. At the time, Sebastian was actually mad at Blaine and thought, why not? All of the New Directions already disliked him after he had said he was taking Michael Jackson for the Warblers. But he did not put the rock salt in. That turned out to be a big accident. One of the Warblers, saw that the cup wasn't full. You may or may not know that when a slushie melts, there is less in the cup. So, anyway, someone scooped up some snow on the way into the parking garage and sloshed it around to fill the cup back up. It turned out that the person managed to scoop up some rock salt along with the snow."

"Go on."

"The whole thing was a prank gone wrong, really wrong. But Sebastian got the answer to why the slushie was hurting Blaine's eyes very quickly and the doctor was able to repair the damage. Sebastian feels awful about it. It was just supposed to be a prank. Don't you think that if Sebastian had put the rock salt in the slushie on purpose that he would have gotten in trouble and expelled? He had proof that it wasn't him. And when the issue was pushed by Blaine's dad, Blaine confessed that the whole thing had been his idea. Blaine knew that if it went to trial that Sebastian had all of the texts showing that it was Blaine's idea and also the texts showing that no one deliberately added rock salt to the mixture."

"And the naked photos?"

"Well, if you had seen them Dad, you would have seen how utterly ridiculous that threat was. They were horrible. I think he spent like five minutes working on the one photo that he showed us. The naked part wasn't even the same skin tone as Finn and it was ridiculously small. And I asked him about it. He thinks I have a really good voice and he was actually really aggravated that I wasn't featured much at Sectionals and he was actually annoyed that I hadn't been cast as Tony. He was just using a completely ridiculous method to get Rachel to drop out just to get back at Rachel for being so annoying. He didn't go through with it. She competed. He did nothing."

"Okay. So, Rachel is not on your list of people to spend time with. I can understand why you wouldn't want to go to DC with us when she was going to be there the whole time."

"Thank you."

"You do realize, though, that she and Finn are still planning on getting married."

"Yes, and I tried to talk her out of it. And Finn as well. If they go through with it, I will attend because Finn is my stepbrother, not because I support them. Now, if they wait and work out their differences and Rachel grows up and realizes that she is not the center of the universe, then I may change my mind and support them."

"Alright. I will consider what you just told me. But you also said some things last night about my behavior being part of the problem."

"Yes, I did. First of all, remember that you are asking me to tell you these things. This is your choice to hear them. We can stop now and leave things as they are."

"No, tell me."

"You've always told me to be myself."

"Yes. I participated in your tea parties. I watched your one-boy musicals. I watched musicals on TV with you. I took you to plays and musicals whenever I could. I came to watch your choir shows, piano recitals, and school plays."

"And those are all of the things you did well. And I appreciate each and every one of them. If you had not done those things, I probably would not have survived. I would have been so alone that I don't know what would have happened."

"So, what was it that I did that was so bad?"

"It's mostly just continued latent homophobia."

"But I'm fighting for equal rights. I have nothing against gay people."

"I know that's true on a fundamental level. But listen closely. I'm going to tell you two stories."

"Okay."

"First one. I'm sixteen. You walked down the stairs into my bedroom and walked in on me making out with Brittany. You told me to be respectful and to use protection."

"I remember."

"Second one. I'm seventeen. You walk upstairs, open my bedroom door, find me sitting putting lotion on my face and Blaine is in my bed face down asleep, wearing his clothes. Later that morning, I got a lecture on behaving inappropriately in your home."

"I remember that as well."

"What was the difference, Dad?"

"I didn't think you'd actually go through with having sex with Brittany. I already knew you were gay. You had told me, plus I already knew before you told me."

"Dad, lots of gay guys have sex with girls, especially ones that are in the closet and want to stay there. You assumed that I wouldn't have sex with Brittany and you assumed that I would have sex with Blaine, despite the fact that at the time we weren't even dating AND he was clearly hungover. How do you think that made me feel?"

"I don't know."

"It made me feel like you were okay with me making out and having sex with Brittany, but that you weren't okay with me making out and having sex with Blaine. It also made me wonder what kind of person you thought I was that I would take advantage of a drunk person and have sex with them."

"I wasn't thinking that. I just..."

"You just managed to make me feel horrible. I promised not to be inappropriate in the house. To me that meant that you didn't want me to have a sexual relationship of any sort with a male in your house. Where exactly did you think I would BE safe having a sexual relationship of any type with a male in Lima? Did you really think I would be stupid enough to go to the local make out areas in town and make out with a BOY?"

"I wasn't thinking that way."

"You may not have been, but what you were doing was condemning me to a life of celibacy or finding someone whose parents didn't have the same types of rules for their own home. It felt like you didn't want me to have someone who loved me be able to express that to me in my own house. That hurt."

"I'm sorry. Carole got onto me about this, you know."

"Yes, because I told her. She thought it was her fault that I was never comfortable enough to show Blaine any affection at home. She thought I was uncomfortable around her. I couldn't let her think that about herself. I told her that you had forbidden me to behave that way. She knew about the 'open door' and 'no guys in my room' rule."

"Yeah, she let me know how unreasonable I was being."

"Which I appreciated."

"What else?"

"You agreed with Finn about Sam."

"You've lost me there, bud."

"Way back, when Sam first came to McKinley. I wanted to sing with him in the duets competition. Finn warned him off. Finn warned me off. You agreed with Finn. The two of you caused me to have to keep my friendship with Sam a secret. You agreeing with him gave him the boost he needed to keep his homophobic fears alive and well. He wanted your approval desperately. Whatever he said about me, he exaggerated. I never, ever did anything creepy to him. I never stalked him. I thought he was cute. I had a crush. Big deal. He told me to back off Sam, but Sam wanted to be my friend. He wanted to sing with me. Ask him sometime after he gets back. Ask him whether I was pressuring him. Ask Sam if I gave him any indication that I wanted anything from him other than to sing with him. You'll see. You believed what Carole said that Finn had told her and never even asked me if what you had been told was true. That hurt."

Burt was quiet.

"Before you say anything else, you need to know that I have forgiven you. You were not intentionally doing things to make my life harder. But you asked me to be honest with you. So, I'm answering you. You also need to know that once someone knows better, they should do better. I expect you to get over what's left of your childhood and young adult homophobia and realize that if you cannot accept the partner that I choose and how I behave around the person that I love, that I cannot come around anymore until you can."

"Kurt..."

"This is not a threat. It's just a statement of fact. How would you feel if I told you that when you come to visit me that you cannot call Carole 'darling' or 'sweetheart' or 'honey'? What if I said you have to sleep in separate rooms? You can't hold hands or touch each other at all? No kissing, not even pecks? How would you take those rules? Would you think that I was accepting of Carole as your partner?"

"But we're married."

"And I can't get married, not yet. Not in Ohio or in France or in most places."

"I know. I want that to change."

"You want that to change on a fundamental equality level, but do you really want to see two women walking around in public holding hands and occasionally kissing? Do you want to see two men making out in the back of a theater? It's easy to say that you want something to be fair, but are you really okay with the outcome of the fairness?"

"It's just not normal. Wait, I don't mean it like that. I mean it's just not something I'm used to seeing."

"Well, it's time that you get used to it. I'm not going to suddenly become straight and I have no intention of living my life alone."

"I know."

"You know, but can you accept it on a personal level? I had planned to tell you when I came to visit you in DC after I get back, but I am going to tell you now. Sebastian and I are dating. He is my boyfriend. I asked him Monday night."

"Okay."

"That means that he will be with me and we will behave the way that couples behave. I am not going to hide who I am or who I love around you anymore. If you can't handle it, then we will wait to spend time with you when you have decided that you CAN handle it."

"Kurt..."

"Don't 'Kurt' me. Rachel comes over to the house all the time. You have never banned Finn from hugging, kissing, or snuggling up on the couch with her. Don't expect me to follow a double standard. You can ban all forms of PDA from the house for both of your children and you can set rules for what is and isn't allowed because it is your house. But the rules you set will be fair or I will not be present. No more having rules that are different for the straight son than they are for the gay son."

"I get it."

"Finn and Rachel could get in his truck and go sit in an empty parking lot somewhere and sit and kiss and if anyone saw them, even the police, nothing would happen. If Sebastian and I decided to go to the exact some spot and do the exact same thing, we'd either get harassed, beat up, or maybe even arrested."

"I get it. I really get it."

"You'll have plenty of time to think about it because I have no intention of being anywhere near Rachel in the near future. And yes, I realize that my stance will cause family friction. But I am not the one in the wrong and I am no longer going to be the one to make peace by backing down when I've not done anything wrong. I've done it for far too long. Maybe I will be able to tolerate her presence by Thanksgiving, if she refrains from badmouthing my boyfriend between now and then. But that's just a maybe. If she apologizes and means it, that will be different altogether, but I wouldn't hold your breath for that. I can't really think of a time that she's sincerely apologized."

"Okay. I get it. There are still quite a few things that need to change in our family."

"There's one more thing for me to tell you."

"What's that?"

"Sebastian is moving in with me and Sam."

"Isn't that a little fast? You said you just started dating this week."

"It may be fast. But that's not your call to make. I love you Dad and I respect you and I value your opinion, but I will no longer just change what I'm doing to make it fall in line with what you want. By the time you were my age, you were already married to Mom. Sometimes, I think you look at me and you still see a 12 year old."

"You're right. I'm sure I do sometimes."

"I've known Sebastian since last November. You are free to talk to his mom and to him, if you'd like. They're out in the living room completely willing to talk to you."

"I see."

"Lisette is happy about him moving in with me and Sam. His dad, Reid, is not upset either."

"Reid? Reid Smythe is his dad?"

"Yep. I suppose you could call him too, although I didn't ask him about it. I could if you want."

"I've met his dad before. He's a straight-shooting kind of guy."

"Well, I've only talked to him on the phone. So, I don't have much of an opinion to offer. But you could talk to Grandma or Grandpa. I know their English is hard for you to understand. There's also Mamie and Papi, which is what Sebastian calls his grandparents and what they asked me to call them as well. They've spent three full days out of the last six with me and Sebastian. They speak English quite well and could give you their opinions of us as a couple."

Silence on Burt's end.

"Whatever you choose, that's up to you. You can just trust me to know that Sebastian is good for me. Or I can let you talk to Lisette for a while to help put your mind at ease. Whatever you choose is fine. But when I come to see you in DC after I get back, Sebastian will be with me and if you can't be genuinely happy for us and accept that he loves me and I love him, then we won't be back for a second visit until you can. If you can accept a harpy like Rachel as a future wife for Finn, then accepting Sebastian should be a piece of cake. He is polite, respectful, hardworking, smart, kind, supportive and genuinely cares for my well-being. Do you want to talk to Lisette?"

"Actually, I do."

"Okay. I'll give her my phone and she can speak to you privately."

"Okay, kiddo."

Kurt took his phone out to Lisette and asked her to speak with Burt, and she agreed.

"Dad, here's Lisette. I'll have her bring the phone back to me when you're done talking to her and then we can finish talking." Kurt handed Lisette his phone. She took the phone and went in her own room to talk to him.

Sebastian went back to the bedroom with Kurt.

Kurt plopped face down on the bed. "I'm worn out."

"I bet. Scoot over here." Sebastian started tracing patterns on his back once he could reach him. "Did it go okay?"

"Well, I don't actually know what the outcome will be. I gave him a few things to think about."

"Like what?"

"Like that if he can't get over his discomfort with me being affectionate with you that I can't spend time in his home, whether that's in Lima or DC. And that as long as Rachel hasn't apologized for what she's done to me that I will not be spending time in her presence, meaning that I will not be a family gatherings if she will be."

"Oh, wow. That's quite an ultimatum."

"It's what is reasonable. Let's just relax for a bit. Your mom will be back soon and I'll have to finish talking to him."

Kurt flipped over and just lay on his back. Sebastian took his hand and gently stroked it with his thumb.

About ten minutes later, Lisette was back with Kurt's phone. Sebastian got up and followed her out of the room and shut the door behind him.

"Hey, Dad."

"Okay. So, I want to hear what makes Lima so bad."

"You're serious?"

"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't."

"Okay. Here's the best analogy I can think of. Let's say that you're left-handed. And way back, teachers and parents actually forced left-handed children to use their right hands instead? So, think about this. What if current society still shunned left-handed people? What if when you sat down in a restaurant and picked up a fork to eat with your left hand, everyone gave you glaring looks like 'how dare you eat with your left hand'? What if you were good at a sport, like really good, but the instant the coach and teammates find out that you're left-handed, they don't want you on the team? What if in school when there are group projects or paired projects no one would pair or team up with you because you're left-handed? What if someone shielded their child's eyes because when they walked into a store, they saw you signing your name left-handed at the check out? What if you tried really hard to be right-handed and even then people teased you because you were so bad at it that they could tell you were left-handed?"

"Kurt, did those things happen to you?"

"That and more."

"I've been not chosen as a lab partner, group member, or team member. Parents have actually shielded a child's eyes and turned and left a store that I was in. I've been stared at in every location you could possibly think of. I've been told to use the ladies' room. I've been shoved into lockers and left in there until someone let me out. I've been locker checked ever since junior high. Dumpster dives. Swirlies. Mocked. Called names. Had things knocked out of my hands, like my books and my phone. I've had more slushies tossed in my face than I could ever even count. I've gotten phone calls at the house when you were at work and been told that I should... Well, I won't finish that statement. The things that people have said to me would make you cry and that would make me cry and I'm not going to repeat those."

"Oh, Kurt."

"Dad, you know what the worst part is? For a long time, I thought it was just because I was gay. But remember when we had that brief conversation that ended with you telling me that a unicorn without a horn is just a friggin' horse?"

"Yeah."

"Throughout senior year, I actually watched the people who were supposedly my friends, the people in New Directions - I watched them accept my boyfriend, again my GAY boyfriend, in ways that they had never accepted me. So, not only am I gay and a blight on society, I am the wrong kind of gay for even supposedly accepting people to accept."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember what I said earlier about _West Side Story_? Rachel pulled away and refused to kiss me during the audition. But she had no problem kissing Blaine during rehearsals and during all of the performances, and well, the night she made out with him when they were both drunk. Blaine was never slushied at McKinley, not once. He was never tossed in a dumpster, locker checked, and the guys were fine with him being in the locker room."

"Really? I guess I assumed that he was hassled too, even if it wasn't as bad as it was junior year for you. I thought him being there with you would make it better for you."

"Dad, I was a 'girl'. I was THE girl in the relationship according to my peers. He came into Glee and became one of the guys. They accepted him into the Glee guys group. A place where I was never allowed. He never did anything to change that either. By three quarters of the way through the school year, I realized that I had just accepted my 'inferior' status. When I started getting acceptance letters and I was actually shocked about it, that was the beginning of my wake-up call. I realized that I had finally succumbed to the weight of being in Lima. I had allowed myself to be pushed to the background. Mike, Blaine and Rory were the three guys chosen to be Rachel's back up singers for Nationals. I didn't even fight it. I don't begrudge Mike because he was also a senior or Rory because he was our only bass, but Blaine was a junior, and I can sing every note that he can. His range is not lower than mine. I can actually sing lower than he can. People just associate me with being able to sing like a girl. That doesn't mean that I can't also sing like a guy."

"So, Blaine came in, as gay as you, but since he is a more acceptable type of gay, he didn't get treated as badly as you did. The guys in Glee accepted him."

"Exactly. It's like he's left-handed, but he managed to learn to eat right-handed and sign his name right-handed, play sports right-handed, so he's acceptable. He's no more right-handed than the other-left handed people, but he's better at seeming like he is."

"So, all of those things you mentioned a few minutes ago have actually happened to you? People not wanting to be your lab partner and what not?"

"Dad, those things happened repeatedly. Those weren't just one-time events. The big deal to me about the duet competition and Sam singing with me was that he was the very first guy who had ever willingly agreed to be my partner for anything. He was genuinely excited to sing with me. He was actually taken aback and thought that he had done something wrong when I backed out and told him that I couldn't sing with him. You and Finn made me feel like I was terrible for asking him and then I ended up feeling twice as bad because Sam was upset that I bailed on him."

"This is part of what you were talking about earlier about me not being comfortable with you being gay. I say that I am, but when you tried to make friends with guys I discouraged you."

"Exactly. You made me feel like all of those guys who claimed that I was out to molest and convert them to my gayness. Like I was a predator. Gay guys and straight guys can be friends. Look at me and Sam. It took some time and quite a bit of effort to develop a friendship after I backed out of the duet. We met in secret, in places between Lima and Westerville, where no one who knows me could rat me and Sam out to you or Finn or anyone else. And don't think I'm over-exaggerating. When Sam's family lost their house and they were living in that motel, I went to help him by giving him some clothes and toys because the bank just locked them out without their stuff. Well, Finn and Rachel were spying on Quinn and they had followed Quinn to the motel. She was helping by babysitting Sam's brother and sister when he had to work in the evenings and his parents couldn't be there. After they followed her there once, they started staking out the motel and they saw me there with Sam. They accused both me and Quinn of having an affair with Sam. Sam had to out his family's financial situation to the whole club to get Rachel and Finn to lay off calling me a cheater."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Not kidding one bit. You contributed to Finn's ongoing latent homophobia. By making me behave 'appropriately', meaning behave as if I am a non-sexual being, in my own home, you've taught him that seeing two men together is inappropriate. He held onto those Lima-ingrained beliefs because what he saw matched what everyone said - that it's wrong. Even though you supported me and my right to be whoever I am, you didn't embrace who I am. He and I had a showdown of sorts after Nationals. You know about that. Carole didn't know that Finn still treated me differently, but why wouldn't he? You still treat me differently."

"Kurt."

"Before you say anything else. Listen to me. I know you love me. I know you support me. That means the world to me. So many kids in my position do not have families that love or support them at all. What Finn read off that paper that day was right. Statistics show that loving, supportive families are not the norm for gay teens. But general love and support is still not enough. Kids need their families to not view them as abnormal. Are left-handed people abnormal or wrong? Or are they just the minority?"

"The minority."

"Being gay merely means that a person is attracted to people of the same gender. It doesn't make me abnormal or my desires abnormal. It doesn't make me a pervert or a molester. It doesn't make me a predator of any sort."

"I know that."

"Yes, you do. But do your actions show that you do?"

Kurt kept talking, not giving time for Burt to answer.

"You don't have to answer. But just think about doing some research, Dad. You want to persuade people using your new position as a congressman. You want people to listen to you. Do some research about the homosexual predators, homosexual molesters and homosexual rapists. Read about how the term 'homosexual' was used in research merely to describe the fact that both the perpetrator and the victim were male. It had absolutely nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the perpetrator. The vast majority of them are heterosexual, just like the general population. Being a pedophile, a molester or an inmate rapist has nothing to do with a person's sexual orientation. I've been subjected to a lifetime of being considered a predator mostly because someone didn't use the appropriate vocabulary to describe criminals."

"I will look into that. Please send me specific things you want me to read if you still have them."

"Think about this. If two adults, one male, one female, around age 25 sit down at a park on a bench near a playground and hold hands and generally act like they are in a romantic relationship, how would they be viewed? A general answer would be that people would probably think that they are the parents of one of the younger kids playing on the playground, right?"

"That's a fairly reasonable assumption."

"Now, change the scenario, just a bit. Two adults, both male, around age 25 sit down at a park on a bench near a playground and hold hands and generally act like they are in a romantic relationship, how would they be viewed? I can pretty much guarantee that the general answer wouldn't be that they are the parents of one of the kids. I'm pretty sure that the answer in Lima would be that the two adult males sitting near the playground are potential child molesters looking for their next victims."

"Wow. Did you really grow up feeling that much hatred that you assume people view you as a potential molester?"

"Absolutely. What you said to me that night about Sam hurt far more than you could realize. You took Carole's word, which was based on what Finn told her and you didn't even ask me anything. You just assumed that whatever Finn said was the absolute truth and that I was the one that wasn't being honest. I still don't know what he told Carole and what she told you, but the absolute truth is that I did nothing to Finn. I never touched him, I never asked him to touch me, nothing. Looking at someone longingly and doing everything I could to be nice to him so that he might like me back doesn't qualify as being predatory. Did carrying a girl's books for them and smiling at them make YOU predatory? Not that I offered to carry Finn's books, but I did help him with his schoolwork. He exaggerated. He was uncomfortable. But you know what, Dad? He never once turned down my offers to help him. He never once actually said, 'I'm 100% straight and 0% interested in dating you.' He soaked up the hero worship and help I gave him, and in return, he told Carole whatever it was that gave the two of you the impression that I was actively perusing him romantically. I wasn't. I didn't. But you believed I that I had been. You told me to not bother Sam. You told me I'd have to 'go it alone until I could find someone as open and brave as me.'"

"And I thought you had found that in Blaine, but now I'm learning that you didn't."

"There's a lot about Blaine you don't know. But I have found that person now. Sebastian is actually as open and brave as I am. I don't have to be alone anymore, Dad. I'm not going to be made to feel bad in my own home because Sebastian loves me."

"I understand. I can change. I will change. I won't listen to Rachel and Finn this time like I did when Finn tried to keep you away from Sam. Sam did want to be your friend and I know that now. You weren't doing anything besides offering him friendship and Finn and I could have ruined that for you if you hadn't been so stubborn and pursued his friendship outside of our knowledge. He's a great guy. I'm glad that you've had him around this school year. It sounds like you really needed it. I'm not going to ask you to tell me more about Blaine. He's in the past. Whatever it was doesn't matter now. He's gone and he'll stay gone. If he comes around the house or shop or whatever, I'm just going to send him away. Rachel is a problem though. I can't just toss her out because she's Finn's girlfriend."

"I know, Dad. I tried to smooth things over with her after the graduation party before I left that Sunday. I tried to talk some sense into her. I had hoped she had taken the last nearly three weeks to re-evaluate her life and move forward, but if she's hanging around the house eavesdropping and then sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong, then she's still behaving like she did before I left."

"Well, I can't say what I'll do about that because I honestly don't know. But I'm not going to allow her to keep you from your own home. We may have to have separate holidays for a while. You and Sebastian can come to DC when we're there and we can celebrate being thankful any day of the year and Christmas is more about love and giving than it is about a specific date anyway."

"Thanks, Dad."

"I'm sorry that I made you feel the way I did. I guess old beliefs run deeper than I thought. Even though I've come a long way, there's still a ways to go. And you're right. I need to spend more time researching prejudice and how to stop it, starting with myself. I don't want to be that person that jumps to the wrong conclusion about the two young men at the park."

"That's all I can hope for, Dad. If each person examines their own attitudes and beliefs and realizes their hidden prejudices and overcomes them, things will improve much more quickly."

"So, you have a new boyfriend and his mother likes you a lot. His dad likes you. His grandparents like you."

"I know. It's so weird. I've never felt so accepted in my whole life. You loved me, but it was really hard with just me and you against the world. It's amazing how just adding a few more people to the 'likes me' side of the equation makes the weight seems so much lighter. It's amazing here. Sebastian and I can walk through the park holding hands and no one bats an eye. We spent the whole day at Disneyland riding rides together and walking around singing and talking and I didn't get called 'fag'. It's like a fairy tale. Sebastian's grandparents asked me to call them Mamie and Papi, which is like 'granny' and 'papaw' the day I met them. No hesitation."

"So, you went to Disneyland and a bunch of museums, what else?"

"Well, tomorrow Sebastian signed us up for ballroom dancing lessons. He already knows both parts of the dances, but I only know the lead because I learned from videos and most of the time the typically female part needs someone to dance with in order to practice that part. You can't be the person dipped when there is no one to dip you."

"Got it."

"So, earlier today I went out and bought some heeled dance shoes, which will probably come in handy for school as well. I also bought a new pair of jazz and ballet shoes for school. Tomorrow, we're going to see whether me wearing the heeled shoes and Sebastian wearing flat jazz shoes will give me enough height for him to dance with me on lead or whether we'll have to switch off. If the shoes don't give me enough height to counterbalance him, then I'll need some lessons to learn the other part. It should be a lot of fun. In all honesty, even in my dreams, I never imagined a place where I could just walk into a dance studio and sign up for ballroom dancing lessons with my boyfriend. After we take a couple of lessons to figure out who is doing what, we're going to go out dancing. There are actually places here where people ballroom dance just for fun and gay couples are welcome."

"Well, who'd a thunk, huh? It sounds like a really good time for you since you love that stuff."

"I do. And I am really looking forward to it."

"Well, I hope you have a great time. Get someone to take a picture of the two of you tomorrow and send it to me. I'd at least like to know what he looks like since he's going to be part of the family."

"I'll do that, Dad."

"Look, Kurt. I'm really sorry about the things I didn't realize that I was doing, even though I didn't do them on purpose and I know you know that. But nevertheless, I am sorry that I added to the stress of being you. You sound so happy about how things are with Sebastian and his family. The way Lisette talked about the two of you with her family and your grandparents, I want that for you with me too."

"I do too, Dad. So, you'll give Sebastian a fair shake? You won't just believe what Rachel said about him? You know people can make bad decisions with good motives."

"Yeah, kid. I know. And yes, I will give him a fair shot. You've never seemed so optimistic and self-assured. And to be honest, the ability to stand up to me when you knew that Rachel and Finn have already filled me full of information, shows me how much you care for that boy and how much you've become your own man. I just didn't realize how much Lima had worn you down."

"I just couldn't bring myself to tell you what was happening to me. The one time I stood up to you and insisted on going against what you told me, you ended up in a coma. How could I openly go against you again? Maybe it was childish thinking, but I couldn't hurt you like that. What we had as father and son wasn't perfect, but I didn't want to lose what we had by causing you so much stress that you had another heart attack. Keeping you safe was more important to me than anything." "But Kurt, I was the father - it was my job to protect you."

"The only way you could have protected me would have been to move someplace that was accepting of homosexuals. There was no way to protect me while living in Lima."

"I guess."

"Are Finn and Rachel actively planning their wedding again?"

"As far as I can tell, yes."

"Has either of them gotten a job or gone out looking for places to live?"

"Not that I am aware of."

"Sounds like time for a bit of 'truth time.'"

"What do you mean?"

"Time to sit them down and ask for a detailed plan. Sure, any straight couple can get married easily, but planning a wedding is not the same as planning a marriage. Where are they going to live? How are they going to divide up expenses? How are they going to divide up the housework?"

"You're very practical for a 19 year old."

"I would not have gotten out of Lima by being impractical. I did all that planning on my own. Budgeting, apartment hunting, insurance, everything. I may be whimsical and a dreamer, but I put feet on my dreams, I didn't just sit around hoping for wings."

"Good analogy."

"Maybe sign them up for pre-marital counseling at Rachel's synagogue. That ought to get them talking about important things. Is Finn going to convert? How will they raise their kids? Is Finn going to become vegan? Will Rachel cook meat for him if he won't be vegan? I know the answer to the last two. NO WAY. He will not give up meat and she will not cook meat. He will have to cook for himself if he is ever going to eat meat while married to her, unless he eats out every time he wants meat."

"I'll call over there when we hang up and see if they offer pre-marital counseling. It sounds like a good idea."

"Here's unsolicited advice from someone who just taught himself how to do all of the things needed to run a household. You are going to have to sit the two of them down and actually teach them step by step. You are going to have to do the math to show to them how much people make weekly working full time at minimum wage. Show them how to determine how much they can afford to spend on housing each month. Add in the cost of electricity, food, gas, water, car insurance, renter's insurance, health insurance. You'll probably have to actually explain why it is unreasonable for them to expect monetary contributions from you and Carole or her dads. Neither one of them have ever had to work get what they want. She is a spoiled princess and he's rather entitled. I know you did not want to argue with Carole about changing her method of providing for Finn, but it really hasn't done him any favors to be given an allowance past the age of 16. She pays for his phone and his car insurance too. He doesn't know how to manage money because his current method of managing it is asking Carole for more when he runs out."

"I know. That was just one of those things that she would not negotiate on."

"She probably figured that he would mature and figure it out on his own. I just don't see that happening. I suggested to Rachel that the two of them try living together. That they get an apartment near a bigger city where she can audition for roles since that's what Madame Tibideaux told her to do. I told her to get a place she could afford on her own in case living together doesn't work out."

"That's a good plan."

"Rachel hates sports. She doesn't play video games. She doesn't like the music Finn listens to. She doesn't like action movies. Right now, Finn just does what she wants so that he doesn't have to listen to her fuss. That can't last. I hope you can get them into the counseling. They really need it."

"Sounds like it."

"So, are we good, Dad? I've pretty much laid it all out. Are we going to be okay?"

"Yeah, kid. We're fine. I've got a lot of stuff to work on."

"Me too. I have to decide whether to just block each person that has written me a bossy, interfering email or left a voicemail today or whether to attempt to address the issue. I'm currently leaning toward the block-them-all option."

"You've gotten all of those things today, from people you are friends with?"

"I'm not sure that 'friends' is the right term to use at this point in time. 'Interfering busybodies' seems more appropriate at the moment. If they had kept in contact with me the last two and a half weeks, I might be more inclined to put them in the friends category, but since only Sam has done that, he's the only one that's not falling into the 'interfering busybody' category. He was actually really supportive. He spent time with Sebastian and me before I left."

"That's right. I had forgotten about that."

"My so-called friends went from no contact to acting like they have a say in my life choices all because Rachel gossiped about me. That's not how it works anymore. I'm not going to try to be who they want me to be anymore. You can email if you want me to call at a specific time again. I'll be watching for your schedule from Carole to arrange a time with her for all of us to meet in DC after I get back."

"Okay. Bye, Kurt. Love ya, kiddo."

"Love you too, Dad."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt plugged his phone in to charge it and laid it on Sebastian's desk. He grabbed clean pajamas and went and showered. When he was done, he went into the living room, where Sebastian was lounging on the couch and lay down in front of him. Sebastian readjusted, wrapped his arm around Kurt, got comfortable, and the two of them just lay there watching the movie that Sebastian and Lisette had been watching.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt woke up the next morning in bed, barely remembering moving from the couch into Sebastian's room. He opened his eyes to find Sebastian just looking at him. "Good morning, mon ange. You're beautiful, you know." Kurt pulled the covers over his head.

Sebastian began to hum "You Don't Know You're Beautiful" and Kurt pulled his pillow out from under his head and whacked Sebastian, who was completely taken by surprise, but didn't take long to catch on and took his own pillow and whacked Kurt back. In no time, they were laughing and chasing each other around the room until they fell back on the bed trying to catch their breath.

"What was that for?"

"Because it seemed like a fun idea. You're laughing aren't you?"

"Yes."

Kurt feigned putting his pillow back, only to whack Sebastian one last time. Sebastian tackled him. "Stop squirming. I'm not going to tickle you. I already told you I wouldn't since you don't like being tickled." Kurt stopped wiggling. Sebastian kissed him. Kurt flipped them over and kissed Sebastian back and then took off running toward the living room. Sebastian followed him.

"What's with the chasing?"

"I just want to have fun. Yesterday was way too serious."

"Oh, Kurt just wants to have fun," Sebastian sang to the tune of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun".

"Exactly. I'm really, really looking forward to the dance lesson. I never thought there would be a place where I could take dance lessons with my boyfriend."

"Say it again."

"Which part? Oh... My boyfriend."

Sebastian put a CD in and pulled Kurt close to slow dance. "You never thought there would be a place where you could take dance lessons with your boyfriend and I wondered if I'd ever have a boyfriend to take to dance lessons with. I really thought no one would ever want me after what happened. It's taken a long time to get here, but we're both where we didn't really dare to imagine."

Kurt leaned in close. "You know, I don't think I've ever apologized to you. I am truly sorry for the mean things I said to you as well. It was wrong of me."

"It's okay."

"No, it's really not, but I am sorry."

"I forgive you."

Kurt leaned in and nuzzled Sebastian's neck. "You know what you actually smell like?"

"What?"

"You smell like home and love and acceptance."

"Mmm. I love you too, mon ange."

The song stopped and Kurt looked up and kissed Sebastian. "We need to eat and get ready to go, don't we? You said 'morning' about the dance lesson, didn't you?"

"Yes, well late morning. It's at 11:00."

"Would it be okay if use your laptop? I need to compose an email and it would just be easier to type it on a keyboard."

"Sure. I'll get it." Sebastian set it up on the table. "I'll make us breakfast while you do what you need to do."

"Thank you."

Kurt sat staring at a blank screen for a few minutes. Figuring out what to write was hard. He wanted to be certain that everyone got the clear message that his life was not theirs to dictate, but he also didn't want to cause a further rift. He had hoped that they could remain cordial, at least.

~-~-~-~-~-~  
Dear Former and Current New Direction Members,

I am writing this in the hopes that you will all understand that, while I appreciate that many of you have suddenly taken an interest in my life, I am fine. I am alive and well in France. I have been here since the day after the graduation party.

Many of you have made poor choices at some point during your teenage years, so have I and so has Sebastian. Me being here with him now is not one of those poor choices. I could detail a list of poor choices by ND members here in this email, but I will not.

What I know is this - the final consequences of someone's actions doesn't always match up to their motives. Sometimes people's motives are noble and good and the outcome of their actions still turns out to have bad consequences. Sometimes people's motives are selfish and bad and the outcome of their actions turns out positive. I know that if all of you think hard enough you can think of examples of this. Sometimes people just react and those reactions hurt others unintentionally. Sometimes people intentionally choose to hurt other people. Several of you have done things that fall into that last category.

For my own sanity, I am choosing to believe that every one of you who has contacted me in the last 24 hours did so out of noble and good motives. If I am wrong, please do not inform me otherwise.

Being in France is the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. It's like coming home. I am not singled out for taunts or name-calling. I have been to places that I had only dreamed of visiting and I have spent the last almost three weeks getting to know my grandparents whom I had never met in person before this trip.

Whatever any of you may think of Sebastian or his motives, think about the fact that he asked for a plane ticket to France for me as HIS graduation present. He chose to bring me to meet my grandparents rather than choose something for himself. How many of you would have given up your own graduation gifts?

He apologized for his actions back before Regionals. That was four months ago. How many of you have yet to actually apologize to me or to other people you have wronged, intentionally or unintentionally? How many of you have apologized sincerely to someone and had your apology rejected?

So yes, he threatened to change the Warblers' set list to Michael Jackson songs when we were planning to use MJ. Whose fault was it that he knew we were doing MJ songs? He didn't do anything nefarious to get that information. We all know who told him our song choices. And the slushie incident? That was a prank that took an unexpected wrong turn. If you want details on that, ask the same person that leaked our set list.

And honestly, whether you accept Sebastian's apology from four months ago or not, it's time to realize that the 2011/2012 school year is over. Sebastian is no longer a Warbler. Most of us will never compete in a high school show choir competition ever again. All of that - the tire slashing, the egg throwing, the set list stealing, and all of the amazing good times we all had - that has come to an end for most of us. Even if you choose to not forgive Sebastian, what he does with the rest of his life will have no impact on yours. High school is over for many of us and we are moving on to college or to jobs.

Think about it. I can guarantee you that none of you even knows where Sebastian is going to school in the fall. What he does with his life will have no effect on yours. He offered an olive branch back four months ago. Reach out and take it. If you want to do that, I can pass along that information to him. Negative comments will not be passed along. All of you know me well enough to realize that I protect the people I love.

I believe a song, or part of one at least, is appropriate since everything we do ends up involving music somehow. Look up "King of Anything" and listen to it, if you haven't heard it before.

 _I hate to break it to you babe, but I'm not drowning._  
 _There's no one here to save._

 _Who cares if you disagree?_  
 _You are not me._  
 _Who made you king of anything?_  
 _So you dare tell me who to be?_  
 _Who died and made you king of anything?_

In the fall, I'm going to a school that values my voice enough to offer me a scholarship. I have an apartment and a job waiting for me. I am not in need of being saved from myself. I'm moving on to my adult life. I planned my escape from Lima meticulously and worked hard to achieve my goals. Continuing to live by other people's rules is not part of that plan.

Being here has given me a new perspective. There is so much more to life than what we could see in high school in Lima. Open yourselves up. Go visit places. Meet new people. See how other people live. It will be the best thing you ever did for yourself.

I am truly happy for the first time in my life. I am not afraid to be myself. If nothing else has gotten through to you in this letter, then just remember that I am happy now. Let this go. Move on with your own lives. Find what makes you happy and pursue it.

Kurt  
~-~-~-~-~-~

By the time Kurt had finished, there was a full breakfast sitting next to him on the table and Sebastian was seated waiting for him.

"Wow. You went all out. It looks fantastic. Thank you." He started eating. "Do you want to read what I wrote?"

"I will read it if you want me to."

"I wouldn't have offered if I weren't sincere." Kurt turned the laptop toward Sebastian and he kept eating while Sebastian was reading what he had written.

When he had finished reading, he put his hand on Kurt's. "You ARE actually happy here with me. You aren't just saying that to get back at them..." Sebastian said with conviction, yet still slightly questioning.

"I am. I meant what I wrote. If they choose not to forgive, that's on them. You apologized. You were sincere. That's all you can do. The rest is up to them. I love you and their choice to accept that or not will not change that fact."

Sebastian just nodded and smiled.

"Why don't you go pick out what we'll wear and I'll do the dishes?"

"Okay." Sebastian stood and leaned over and kissed Kurt on the top of his head as he walked behind Kurt's chair.

Kurt reread the email once last time, double checked the recipients list and added a BCC to both his dad and Carole so that they can see what he sent. After he was satisfied that it said what he wanted it to, he clicked the send button.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They arrived at the dance studio a little early so they could get changed and warm up. Sebastian had packed two sets of his dance clothes for them to wear during the lesson. Kurt changed first and was stretching when Sebastian came back out to the studio. He joined Kurt. Kurt stood and stretched up high, then gracefully leaned back into a back walkover. Sebastian's eyes went wide.

" _I didn't know you could do gymnastics._ "

" _Well, I've never taken lessons, but Sue trained us hard in Cheerios. She wasn't satisfied with me just being a singer. She expected me to be able to perform flips and stuff as well. She made me come in on extra days and work with the girls that needed extra practice. I kept it up even after I quit. I figured being able to do leaps and flips could help me land a role sometime._ "

" _I took lessons for a while after we moved back. The dance teacher said that it would help me with strength and balance. I was even more scrawny back then._ "

Kurt moved closer and whispered in his ear. " _You're not scrawny. Your gorgeous._ " And kissed him lightly on the ear. Then he stepped back and started more stretches. He flipped up into a handstand and did the splits. He stood back up and did another back walkover and ended in the splits. Sebastian lost his focus and stopped stretching. Kurt noticed and sat on the floor facing Sebastian. " _I think my stretches are too distracting. Here give me your hands and slide your feet open._ " Kurt pushed feet against Sebastian's. They pulled back and forth gently stretching. A few minutes later, the instructor walked in.

" _Good, you're both already warmed up. First, I'd just like to see the two of you move together. Sebastian mentioned that you did well waltzing. Let's start with that._ " Kurt and Sebastian put their jazz shoes on and stepped to the starting position and waited for the music to start. They danced together for about two minutes before the instructor spoke. " _Yes, yes. The two of you do move well together. Let's see what happens when the two of you attempt to Tango together._ " Kurt went over to his bag and changed into the heeled shoes. The instructor changed the music and they started dancing again. They didn't do nearly as well this time, and all three of them were laughing.

" _Okay, okay. Stop. I see the problem. The two of you didn't learn the same form of Tango, but I can fix that. I think you'd enjoy knowing both. So, let's start with what Kurt knows._ " The instructor stepped up and took Sebastian's place and they began to dance together, the instructor showing Sebastian the steps, then switching places and giving Sebastian the chance to practice. They used the same technique all the way through until Sebastian had the steps down. The instructor turned the music back on and the two of them did a much better job together.

The instructor paused the music. " _That was a lot better. I want you to finish out this song, using the space to move around more like you would at a dance._ " And they did.

" _Next up. Kurt, come stand next to me while I teach you the leader part of this style._ " Kurt observed carefully. He caught on quickly. The instructor changed the music and they danced through the whole song. " _That was fairly good. Do either of you have questions or would you rather move on?_ "

" _Is one or the other type more common to use in a club._ "

" _Well, I'd say the Argentine Tango is going to be more likely. In a crowded room, the dips and flairs are a lot harder to do._ "

" _Okay, then can we go through that one more time while you watch to see if we need to fix anything?_ "

" _Sure_." The instructor started a new song. He corrected a few things here and there, but overall they did fairly well. " _Much improved. You'll get better over time. Kurt seems a bit hesitant to actually lead, but I think that's more from lack of having a real dance partner previously than an overall problem. Once you two practice together, I think it will call come together nicely._ "

" _Thank you,_ " Kurt said.

" _You also mentioned the Foxtrot and Swing dancing on the phone?_ "

" _Yes._ "

" _Well, I think the Foxtrot will be very easy. So, let's start with that._ "

In a matter of ten minutes, they both had their parts down and had moved through most of a song.

" _That was good. Just practice more and you'll get better._ "

" _Now, the swing is going to be a bit of a challenge. With the heels on, Kurt is the same height as you, Sebastian, which works fine for several of the dances. But I really think we need to switch back to Sebastian in the lead with the swing and Kurt needs to put the flat shoes back on. Plus, I saw Kurt doing gymnastics when you were warming up. If Sebastian is strong enough to counterbalance, I think the two of you could be really good at this, but I'm envisioning a lot of work to get to that point. The two of you are so close in height and weight that it may be hard to make it work. I think it's a toss up. If you are both willing to work hard, you might be really good at it and have a lot of fun. I do think it will require a few lessons because even with hard work, some of the moves are just not going to be possible unless Sebastian is remarkably stronger than he looks, no offense intended._ "

" _None taken. I know that some of the swing moves include overhead lifting and you're right, even with my lacrosse training, I don't think I can bench press Kurt,_ " he laughed. " _Now, I can lift him bridal style and spin. And I'm sure we can do the flips and the assisted cartwheels because Kurt can already do those on his own. It would just be a matter of me learning where to hold him and not end up getting kicked accidentally_."

" _Okay, then let's just put on some fun music and see what moves the two of you can do_." He pulled out his phone and showed them several moves and they tried out a variety of things. He skipped things like the shoulder sit and around the world because of Kurt just being too heavy or too tall for Sebastian to be able to maneuver him properly. But they found enough of a variety of moves to give it a go. The instructor started a new song and demonstrated some basic swing dance steps to get the two of them started. He had them add in the moves they had managed to be able to do earlier. " _Not bad. Really, not bad at all for a first effort._ "

Sebastian and Kurt were out of breath and laughing. " _I think you're being generous. We're a mess, but it's fun. I think we could get better, but the swing is something we'd have to work on a lot to be able to do well,_ " Kurt said.

" _Thanks for working us in today._ " Sebastian said. " _This has been a lot of fun. We're only going to be here a couple more weeks, but we'll see if we can work in some more lessons. I'll call later._ "

" _Yes, thanks. This has been like a dream come true for me. So. Much. Fun. I do have one request. After we change back into our regular clothes, can you take a picture of us together. My dad asked for one._ "

" _Yes, sure. Of course_."

Kurt changed first and was talking to the instructor while waiting on Sebastian. " _Where I come from, dancing like this with another guy is practically a death wish. The two of us can't even eat at a restaurant together in peace, much less go out and do something like this._ "

The instructor just shook his head.

Sebastian came out and Kurt had put the heeled shoes back on. " _Maybe just take a short video of us doing the Tango, then we'll switch to the waltz? And just a couple of still photos,_ " Kurt said.

" _No problem_."

They got the video clips and photos.

" _Thanks so much for all of your help. My dad will be really pleased to see the photos and videos._ "

" _I hope you have time to stop back in for some more lessons before you leave._ "

Kurt and Sebastian put their regular shoes back on and waved as they headed out.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"That was SO much fun!"

Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist and pulled him in close. "I'm glad you had such a good time. I did too. Send those videos to Mamie and Papi and my mom. They'll want to see too."

"How about I send them to you and you send them on? I don't have their phone numbers or email addresses." Kurt sent them to Sebastian.

Sebastian sent them on to his mom and grandparents. "We have to remedy you not being able to contact them. Here, give my your phone and I'll put everything in."

While Sebastian was entering everything, Kurt said, "We need to go to the bank. I still need to give you the money for those dance shoes and the furry boots."

"Nope."

"What do you mean, no?"

"The fur-lined boots were a gift, but we can go by the bank and you can pay me for the dance shoes if you want."

Sebastian handed Kurt his phone back and looked at the contact page. "Really Sebastian? You put your mom in as 'Maman'. She's your mom, not mine."

"Close enough." He grabbed Kurt's phone and stuffed it in his other front pocket and wrapped his arm back around Kurt's waist. They walked close together like that all the way to the bank. They took the Metro back to Sebastian's after they left the bank.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Once they were back inside the apartment, Sebastian put music on, wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and they slow danced around for a while. "Dancing all those different dances with you is a lot of fun, but this is my favorite, just holding you close and moving to the music." They danced and kissed occasionally until the music stopped.

When the music stopped, Sebastian loosened his hold a little. "Are you hungry?"

Kurt still had his arms around Sebastian's neck. He nodded.

"Let's go eat whatever is in the kitchen."

Kurt didn't let go. He turned and moved backwards half waltzing, half walking toward the kitchen. Kurt positioned them so that Sebastian ended up against the wall and he tipped his head up and started kissing Sebastian.

"Mmm. I thought you said you were hungry."

"I am. I just want to kiss you more than I want to eat right now," Kurt answered and went back to kissing him. "But if you insist..." He quickly slipped out of Sebastian arms and right into the kitchen and opened the fridge. "Not much." He just pulled out what he there was and divided it onto two plates and stuck it in the oven to warm it up.

He quickly moved right back to where Sebastian was standing and stepped right up to him like he was going to kiss him, then turned and took off running toward the bedroom. Sebastian pursued. When Sebastian ran in, Kurt was pulling his boots off already. Sebastian followed suit.

"Come on. Let's rest and snuggle. If we're going to go back out dancing later this afternoon, we need to rest," Kurt said. He lay back on the bed. Sebastian walked around to get in his side of the bed, but Kurt quickly rolled onto Sebastian's side of the bed and pulled Sebastian down on top of him.

"A rouse. You're a charlatan and a rogue. It's not a nap you want."

"Nope. Not at all. I just want to be close to you. We can still snuggle and, instead of resting, we'll kiss. There's not really time for a nap with the food in the oven anyway."

"See, it was a rouse."

"Yep. You figured me out." Kurt laughed, rubbing his hands up and down Sebastian's back. He rolled them so they were both on their sides, facing each other. "Now, unless you are opposed to my idea, let's get back to the kissing." Sebastian was in no way opposed.

Ten minutes later, the timer went off and they collected their lunches, added some sliced fruit and cheese and ate at the dining table.

"Not bad for leftovers. And definitely better than wasting food. So, what time are we going dancing?" Kurt asked.

"Well, the place I want to try opens at 2:00, but we don't have to be there that right when it opens. It's open from 2:00-10:00. It's about a 30-minute Metro ride. They have a cloakroom where we can check a bag with our street shoes in it while we dance."

"Do we need suits? I didn't bring one."

"No, not at all. The place we're going to try today is really casual. We're probably both already more dressed up than most of the people that will be there from what I could see in the photos on their website."

"Okay. I'm going to check my email to see if Carole sent me Dad's schedule yet. I just texted you the apartment office manager's number so you can call and get the info your dad needed to set up the auto-pay for the rent. I already have the electric company account written down in that notebook we were using the other day. He also wanted the full address of the apartment so he could add it to his insurance policy and so he can send the driver to the right location with your car and your boxes. It's written in the same notebook. If you have to create an online account for the rent, just write the username and password on the same page with the other information."

"Got it. I'll call." Sebastian went to the bedroom.

Kurt opened his email and found that Carole had sent his dad's schedule. Kurt made a call to the auto repair shop where he was going to be working and spoke with the manager about his hours. He explained that he wanted to make a trip to visit his dad and wondered if he could arrange it so that he could get any Monday and Tuesday off from the list of dates that his dad had sent that he would be in DC. Fortunately for him, Joe was very happy to help him. He liked it when his own kids took the time to come visit him. He also agreed to email Kurt his schedule for the whole month of July, pointing out that he was a big fan of allowing people to plan their lives and not always have to wonder when they'd be working. Kurt thanked him and hung up.

Kurt looked through the rest of his emails. He didn't get any responses to the email he sent out to the New Directions, but Carole had responded, praising him for how kind his smack down was. He laughed. He emailed her back giving her the dates that he and Sebastian would be able to make it to DC. And he also emailed her the videos and photo from their dance lessons that morning.

Sebastian came back into the room after he had finished setting everything up and sending his dad the required information. "Done. My dad has arranged for my car to arrive Friday morning. I sent him one of the videos of us dancing. He said he was glad that I found someone."

Kurt got up and hugged him. "Why are you crying?"

"I just never thought he cared. Maybe I was wrong."

Kurt just held him. After a few minutes, Sebastian stepped back and wiped his eyes. "What did you find out?"

"I'm going to be off July 16th and 17th. We'll leave for DC at noon on the 14th. My dad has a place we can stay while we're there. He'll be in meetings a lot of the time during the day, but he has all day Sunday and Monday evening blocked off for us. So, we can think of something we'd like to do that's touristy on Monday and Tuesday during the daytime. We can include Carole one of the days and then do something just the two of us the other day. I'll see what her schedule has on it already. Sometimes she attends events with Dad."

"That sounds like fun. I've never been to DC."

"Me neither. I could never get away long enough with all of my schoolwork and Dad came home over school holidays."

"Is that your work schedule?" Sebastian asked looking over Kurt's shoulder.

"Yes. The manager is great. He posts the schedules four weeks in advance. That way people can actually plan their lives. It's fantastic. I already gave him my availability and my hours for the school year are already set. So many places where there are part-time workers, the work schedule only goes up a week in advance and no one gets a guaranteed work schedule and people just can't plan."

"What hours are you working during the school year?"

"Monday through Friday 3:00-6:00 and Saturday 7:00-noon. That way I can get 20 hours a week in. So, if I need off, I'll have to find someone willing to trade with me or work my shift. But this way I'll have time to go to my classes and get my school work done too. So, with you commuting, if you leave campus by 5:00 or so, we'll get home around the same time." He leaned over and kissed Sebastian lightly. Kurt saw the small box in the middle of the table. He opened it and took out his brooch. "I'm going to wear this out dancing. Do you need to do anything else before we go?"

"We'll need to clean these plates up and I'm going to text my mom and ask her about dinner. I'm sorry about the general lack of food. My mom used to keep the kitchen stocked. She wasn't teasing about not cooking for herself. She has quit grocery shopping completely it seems. I'll find out whether she wants us to go shopping or whether she is going to bring something home to eat. The kitchen looks like we're going on vacation and she doesn't want anything to spoil while we're gone. Completely barren at this point."

"I'll wash the plates." Kurt picked them up and took them into the kitchen while Sebastian conversed via text with Lisette.

"What's the verdict?"

"She was pretty cryptic. She says she hopes we have a lot of clean clothes and that she'll bring dinner home."

"Well, I'm not sure what qualifies as 'a lot' to your mom. Should we go do a couple of loads before we leave? We can just wash them and then hang them to dry so we can get going."

"I'll go look in the closet and call her while you wash, dry and put those away."

Kurt finished and went into the bedroom. Sebastian was still looking through the closet.

"So, did you get any information out of her?"

"Not really. But I think we have everything we need already clean. So, let's just get going. She wants to eat dinner at 6:30."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

At the club, it turned out that the afternoon was actually more for instructional time and then dancing after each mini-dance lesson. It was still a lot of fun and they learned to move together better. The casual atmosphere helped them feel less hesitant. At 5:45 they headed back to the apartment.

"That wasn't what I was expecting, but it was still a lot of fun."

"I agree. I'll look around for a place that's more formal and has more of a ballroom atmosphere and we'll go out again next week sometime. Do you want me to set up another lesson and try working on the swing dance? Or do you want to just stick with what we can already do and just practice until we get better?"

"I think one more swing lesson would be fun. I don't think we'll have much of a chance for lessons like this once we get to Connecticut."

"Then I'll set another one up - after we figure out what Mom is up to."


	17. Chapter 17

They opened the apartment door and they could smell Thai food.

" _Mmm. It smells delicious in here._ "

" _Wash up and come sit down. I ordered several different things because I'm not sure what Kurt likes._ "

They came back in and sat down.

Sebastian answered, " _From what I've seen, Kurt likes everything._ "

Kurt laughed. " _Well, not everything. School food is horrible. Never eat public school food._ "

Lisette laughed. " _I'm not sure that public school food in some places actually counts as food. I think it's like_ American cheese _. A definite misnomer. American cheese is not cheese at all._ "

" _Now, now, Mom. Your snobby French attitude is showing,_ " Sebastian teased.

" _It's not snobby if it's true,_ " Lisette countered.

"Zis is not cheez," Sebastian said with a terrible fake French accent.

They all laughed.

" _This is really good. Thank you,_ " Kurt said.

" _I'm glad you like it._ "

" _So, what's the big secret, Mom? Why do we need clean clothes?_ "

" _Well, it's not so much a secret as it is a surprise that's has a long explanation and I was busy when you called earlier. As I understand it, Lucien's brother lives in Strasbourg and a couple of times a year they go and visit and during the summer trip, they have a family reunion of sorts. It's been scheduled for this weekend for months. Your grandparents thought you wouldn't be here since you were scheduled to leave on Saturday. But once you decided to stay longer, they worked to rearrange their plans and they got it all figured out earlier this week, but wanted to surprise you. So, they are staying at your great uncle's as usual, but your great uncle and aunt will be staying at their son's house so there's room for you and Sebastian to go as well._ "

" _Okay. That was complicated. No wonder you didn't want to answer me on the phone earlier,_ " Sebastian laughed.

" _So, Sebastian and I are going to Strasbourg to meet my extended family?_ "

" _Exactly._ "

" _When are we leaving? How long are we staying?_ " Kurt asked.

" _You'll have to leave here before 6:00 in the morning to be at the train station on time. You're staying until Monday evening. I was told that the weekend is quite laid back. Everyone else will be leaving Sunday evening. I'm not honestly sure how many people will be there. Your grandparents left yesterday morning. I guess they usually spend 4-5 days there when they go. But your mom's cousin's kids don't arrive until the weekend. It all got a little fuzzy once Lucien got talking. He started telling stories about previous reunions and names started flying and I got lost,_ " she laughed.

" _I bet. I would be totally lost too. I don't know any of their names. I don't even know my great uncle's name. Maybe I can get Grandpa to draw me a family tree when we get there tomorrow morning so I won't be so clueless._ "

" _Well, you two better go get packed and get to bed early. I'll clean this up. And I'll go shopping Monday so there'll be food to eat when you get back. I'm sorry about that. I've just gotten so used to not cooking anymore. After Sebastian left, I just quit keeping much in the house._ "

" _It's fine. I wake up to an empty fridge or cabinets frequently at home and it's not because Carole didn't shop. Finn has people over and they raid the kitchen and it looks like locusts swept through. Sam and I have eaten some very unusual combinations. While I love good food and I enjoy cooking, sometimes food is just food. I haven't gone hungry and that's what counts._ "

" _Let's go pack,_ " Sebastian said as he got up and put his plate and utensils in the sink. Kurt followed him doing the same.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"So, two days doing I have no idea what. That's hard to pack for."

"Let's just pack all of our clothes into my backpack. And we'll put the toiletries in your satchel."

Sebastian pulled a backpack under his bed and he and Kurt pulled out three outfits each. They packed two and left the other out to wear the next morning. Kurt showered while Sebastian folded the clothes and packed them. Kurt spent time that Sebastian was in the shower emptying the photos of his phone again and answering emails. He was still working on the emails when Sebastian came back in.

"What's with that look? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, not exactly wrong. I'm just reading through the emails I got in reply to the one I sent out."

In his best talk show host voice, Sebastian says, "And the survey says..."

"Puck and Quinn's responses were actually pretty much the same, written completely differently of course," he laughed. "Both of them pretty much said, 'We were teenage screw-ups and got our lives together, so we see no reason why Sebastian couldn't do the same.' Neither of them really care what Rachel thinks, and they aren't going to join her on her quest to save me from myself. So, I count that as a win."

"And the others?"

"Well, Mike and Tina wrote a response together from Tina's account. Tina was my friend before I befriended Rachel, which of course in hindsight was never really a friendship. Tina and Mike are about as conflict avoiding as humanly possible. They are more of the 'live and let live' types. Now, that they know you're my boyfriend, they'll be completely okay with it."

"That's good. So, more of a neutral response."

"Yeah."

"Joe wrote something along the lines of he's glad that you've seen the light and that you've redeemed yourself."

Sebastian looked a bit perplexed.

"Joe's the one with the dreadlocks. He's very religious."

"Ah, well that response makes more sense knowing that."

"Brittany wrote and said that Lord Tubbington told her that I was right and that you're actually a nice person. So, she's fine with us."

"Well, it's good that your first girlfriend and her cat approve," he said while nudging Kurt.

"Yeah, yeah. My very short-lived attempt at being straight was an utter fail."

"Her loss is my gain," Sebastian said and leaned over and kissed Kurt.

Kurt laughed.

"Santana's response is NSFW."

"Ouch. I can see that being the case though. I'm imagining that she's still holding the slushie against me."

"Yeah. And not just that. You insulted her family. Not that she's proud of her lowlife family members from her mom's side of the family, but calling her out in public was humiliating. Not everyone in that group knew that some of her relatives were in jail. If you want her to forgive you, you'll have to apologize to her personally. She's not used to being crossed. At school, the only person who ever had the nerve to slushie her was David and that was sophomore year right after she joined Glee Club. But she obviously forgave him at some point because they're friends now, so there's hope, I guess."

"Yeah. You're right. I should apologize to her. If you have her number, I'll call her right now. It's the middle of the afternoon in Lima." Kurt dialed Santana.

"Hey Santana. Sebastian would like to talk to you, if that's okay." He handed the phone to Sebastian.

"Santana, look I'm really sorry about the slushie."

Indistinct yelling could be heard from the phone.

"Yes. I understand. I know that dry cleaning isn't free. Also, I'm sorry about what I said in the Lima Bean that day. I didn't actually know that you had any family in jail. I was just being an ass."

More yelling.

"Yes, my dad IS the State's Attorney, but I didn't get him to look anything up about you or your family. My remark was just racist and uncalled for. At some point, someone had said something about you being from Lima Heights and I know that area is rife with crime. I just made something up to poke fun at you. And I'm really sorry. It was uncalled for. I was an ass. Plain and simple. I made racist remarks, which is never okay. And I'm really sorry."

More talking, not yelling this time.

"If you want details on the Jackson-Off slushie, you'll have to get those from Blaine."

Silence.

"Look Santana, how about this? To make up for throwing the slushie at you, I'll buy you a new dress here in Paris. I'll let Kurt pick it out since he knows your size. I'll send it back with him."

Talking.

"Okay. Deal. I'll get one for Brittany too. I'm sure Kurt can find something nice for her as well."

More talking.

"So, then we'll call a truce? No more insults, no more fighting."

Santana had obviously calmed down.

"Alright then. Two new dresses from Paris, one for you, one for your beautiful girlfriend and again, I am really sorry."

Sebastian handed Kurt his phone back. "She agreed and hung up."

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be. I'm honestly not sure that her email wasn't just a ploy to get me to bring her and Brittany a present," Kurt laughed. "She's quite devious."

"Well, whatever it takes. If they want dresses, we'll get them dresses. We'll go shopping when we get back. Or maybe Mom can bring them something from work."

Kurt turned the laptop off and got in bed. Sebastian turned of the light and climbed in bed.

"You know what one of the most surprising thing about you has been?" Sebastian asked.

"What?"

"That you are not at all prissy or picky. In Ohio, the mask you wore gave off the impression that you were totally in control. That you were picky about what you wore, your hair care, your facials, what you ate, just everything."

"Yeah. I'm sure it did. And I am particular. But my need to control everything about myself was just a survival technique. I had to control what I could with everything around me being as crazy as it was. And the ice king mask served me well. In general, minor bullies will back off when they get no response and they move on to other targets. Plus, I don't really view myself as a hapless or a helpless victim. I don't believe in violence as a way to solve problems. Even if I had fought off one and somehow managed to win, it would have just brought on even more violent attacks so they could prove that no 'fairy' would come out on top. Being tossed into the school's dumpsters in broad daylight was better than my dad being called to ID me because my body had been found in a dark alleyway dumpster."

"That was actually the reality you faced every day wasn't it? Let them bully you or maybe end up dead?"

"Yeah, a lot of the time, especially in junior high and the first couple of years of high school. I was small. I grew like four inches after my sophomore year. When David bullied the whole Glee Club my sophomore year, he was every bit of 7-8 inches taller than me. Junior year, I became his focus. He'd bypass others he had previously bullied. By the time I went and confronted him, which was stupid of me, I had closed that gap to being just 3-4 inches shorter than him, but he still could have picked me up and tossed me across the room. That day, I just lost my control and chased after him. I shouldn't have. It was a bad choice on my part. There is no way that it was going to end well for me. I don't really know how I could have talked to him, but what I did was the wrong way. We've worked things out now, so I guess it doesn't matter anymore."

"The control helped keep you safe."

"Or it at least help me to feel less like a victim. Do you know what one of the most surprising things about you has been?"

"What?"

"That you are not at all stuck up or snobbish. When you came into the Lima Bean that day and you hit Santana with your 'I can see that your family members in jail get what you send them' line, you were totally portraying the nepotistic, high society, 'I'm rich and you're not' snobbery that is an art form at Dalton. I figured you fit right in with the uppity, upper-crust snob group there."

"Yeah, I bet. But that's totally not me."

"I know that now. You are not that way at all. You're all 'Use your force for good, Luke.' as Sam would point out."

Sebastian laughed.

"Big spoon or little spoon?"

Sebastian rolled to his side toward Kurt and kissed him and said, "big spoon." Kurt didn't turn over right away and kept kissing him. He eventually rolled over and scooted back to snuggle against Sebastian and they went to sleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They made it to Strasbourg by 9:30 and Kurt's grandparents were waiting for them at the train station. Kurt had called them from the train and asked for a family tree to study. Right after all of the hugs and greetings had taken place, Lucien pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Kurt. Kurt unfolded it and smiled. He folded it back up and put it in his pocket. The four of them got in the car and Lucien drove them this his brother's house.

Once they arrived, Amélie showed them to the bedroom they'd be using. They pulled their clothes out of the backpack and laid them neatly on a chair. Kurt pulled out the paper and looked it over. Sebastian sat down next to him to look too.

"So, one great uncle and his wife."

"Mom's three cousins, two female, one male. All married." Kurt said.

"Each has two or three kids. Seven total. Ages from 15-20, it looks like."

Kurt was counting. "Three guys, four girls."

"So, you didn't know anything about any of these people?"

"I knew my grandpa had a brother. But beyond that, nothing. Even if I had, they would have been nothing more than potential pen pals with us never having the opportunity to get to see each other. But now that I'm here, it will be interesting to at least meet them. I wonder if my mom was close to any of her cousins. She died before I was really old enough to take an interest in her childhood. She told me about visiting beautiful gardens and going to museums. She passed on her love of beauty, but I was really too young to pass on family information to."

Sebastian scooted closer and put his arm around Kurt.

"That's why I'm older than all of the kids in my grade, you know. My dad knew that she wasn't going to make it and he let me stay home from school any time I wanted to. So, I missed most of 3rd grade. There was no reason to hold me back academically because I could have done 4th grade work the next school year, but the school absolutely refused to allow me to be promoted due to my attendance record. I could already read in French and English and my mom had taught me all my times tables through song. I spent a lot of time reading to her because she was too tired to read to me. I sang and danced and put on shows for her while she lay in bed watching. I wouldn't trade that time with her for anything." Tears were streaming down his face.

Sebastian pulled him closer and just held him tight. "This was all so sudden. I didn't even think about how hard this might be for you. Just know that I'm here. It's okay to be sad."

Amélie came back to tell the boys about lunch. " _Oh, Kurt, love..._ " Amélie sat down on the bed on Kurt's other side. " _Is it too much? Should we have not had you come?_ "

" _No, no Grandma. I'll be fine. Just looking at the family tree made me think about how I missed out on hearing stories about who these people were to my mom. I was too young before she got sick and by the time I had just about gotten old enough to enjoy the stories, she was too sick. Was she close to Chloe, Brigitte, and Marc?_ "

" _Yes. Your Great Uncle Stephan and Great Aunt Beatrice lived in the same neighborhood we did until about 20 years ago. So, they actually grew up living near each other. I know they're looking forward to meeting you. Their kids are nice too. We don't see them as often because they're older now. Some of them are still in school. The others have moved on and started their own lives. Some off to university and others are already working. I'll give you a few more minutes up here and then well get going. We already packed most everything last night and I've finished up the rest this morning. We're eating in the park not far from here and spending the afternoon together there._ "

" _Before we go, are any of them going to be bothered by the fact that I have a boyfriend?_ "

" _No, sweetheart. They all know that Sebastian has come with you and they're fine with it. I think a few of the grandkids might be bringing their boyfriends or girlfriends. They have in the past anyway._ " She stood up to leave the room.

" _We'll be down in a few minutes,_ " Kurt said. Amélie nodded and left to go back downstairs.

"I'll be right beside you, all the time, if you want. Or I can give you space. Whatever will make this easier."

"Thank you." Kurt kissed him on the temple. "I think that there is one thing I think we need to decide about our relationship."

"What do you mean?" Sebastian looked concerned.

Kurt took Sebastian's hand in his, "No, nothing bad. It's just that starting now and going forward, we are going to be meeting people who have absolutely no backstory about us. Meeting my extended family is what we're doing now, but when we move to Connecticut it will happen there too. People always love to hear the story of 'How did the two of you meet or how did you get together?'"

"Mmm hmm." Sebastian said as he kissed Kurt's hand as he pulled him closer with his other hand until Kurt was leaning against him.

"I don't want Blaine to be a part of that story. I don't want him to be any part of my life at all anymore," Kurt said adamantly.

"I can understand that. What are you proposing?"

"Well, the day I answered your text and agreed to meet you in the garden at Dalton feels like the first time we really met to me. It was the first time you were honest with me about how you felt and why you had acted the way you had. Prior to that, while you were yourself, your actions weren't really in line with your heart."

"That's true."

"So, a completely true account that leaves Blaine completely out," Kurt said.

"Okay. So, we knew each other in passing due to the fact that I went to school where you had gone the year before and still you still had friends there. One afternoon this spring, I asked you to meet me and we spent the afternoon talking, then went to dinner and spent even more time talking. We spent time doing things in a group of mutual friends from my school and your best friend. We spent time getting to know each other and then after we had gotten to know each other really well, you asked me to be your boyfriend and I said 'yes.'"

"Well, that sounds like a good answer. It's truthful and it leaves out the parts I don't want anyone new to know about." Kurt leaned over and gently pulled Sebastian toward him and kissed him. "We need to get downstairs." Kurt stood, put the folded paper back into his pocket and grabbed Sebastian's hands and pulled him up and they headed downstairs together.

" _Oh, good. There you are. We were beginning to wonder if you had fallen asleep,_ " Amélie said.

" _No. Just talking a bit. Sorry for the delay. Is there anything we can help with?_ "

Lucien pointed to the picnic baskets. " _You two can carry those out to the car, please._ "

Amélie just smiled and herded them out the door. " _Let's get moving. Everyone else is already down there._ "

" _It's strange to ride around in a car with you driving, Grandpa._ "

" _Yes, well, your grandma and I have no real use for a car since we can walk or take the Metro to the places we want to go, and in a pinch, we can take a cab if necessary. This is your Great Uncle Stephan's car. He left it for us to use for the weekend since he's staying with Marc and his family._ "

" _Thanks for arranging all of this. I hope we didn't inconvenience Uncle Stephan too much._ "

" _No, don't worry about that at all,_ " Lucien said.

" _There's everyone,_ " Amélie said pointing to a picnic area on the right. Lucien pulled into a parking area. Everyone got out and walked over to the group. They grouped up and stood with their parents so he could see the family units. He snapped a photo of each group and they all introduced themselves. There were a lot of handshakes and cheek kisses. He was glad he was good with names, but he wasn't sure that he could remember 17 people's names in one afternoon. It was definitely a challenge. Everyone was very welcoming.

They all pulled out the foods that they had brought to share and everyone filled their plates and sat around talking while they ate. Kurt learned a lot and mostly listened.

After they ate, Chloe and Brigitte approached Kurt and asked him to go for a walk with them. Sebastian just nodded and stayed and talked to Kurt's cousins. Chloe and Brigitte spent an hour just talking about Elisabet and the things they did together as children. Kurt asked if it was okay to record them and they agreed. He was afraid that he would forget with so many stories being told in such a short period of time. On their way back to the picnic area, he gave each of them his email address and asked them to write down anything else that they wanted to share with him and send it to him.

Kurt went back and sat with Sebastian when he came back from his walk. Sebastian scooted closer after Kurt sat down and wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist and said, " _They've been grilling me about you._ "

" _We have not,_ " Silvi said laughing.

" _We're just curious what it's like to grow up in the United States,_ " Sadie said.

" _Well, I'm not sure what Sebastian said, but I think there's no one answer to that question. The United States is so big that one region is so completely different from another that they wouldn't seem to have much in common at all. And while there are a few things that are similar across the country, there's a lot of things that are different. So, where I grew up is very intolerant of gay people and a lot of other types of people. There are areas that are not like that. There are areas where Hispanic people are unwelcome and other places where they are the majority. It's just so big that I don't think there are a lot of things that can be definitively said about Americans, other than most of them speak English._ "

" _So, where did you grow up?_ " Georges asked.

" _Northwest central Ohio, in a small town._ "

" _Sebastian said that you both just graduated. What university are you going to?_ " Brielle asked.

" _It's in Hartford, Connecticut. I'm going to be studying music. Sebastian's going to Yale._ "

They talked for quite a while about what they were either studying, studied or hope to study in college. The ones that already had jobs talked about what they did. Eventually, everyone collected up the empty bowls and dishes and packed everything back up.

The evening plan consisted of everyone going out to dinner and then to a play. They went back to Kurt's uncle's and helped clean up from the picnic. Kurt and Sebastian went out back and sat on the porch and just relaxed for a while before leaving again. They enjoyed the dinner and the play and had a good time with Kurt's family.

When they got back to the house, they showered and got in bed as usual. Kurt was already in bed, laying on his side, almost in a fetal position. Sebastian scooted next to Kurt and just held him. He could sense how overwhelmed Kurt was despite putting on a good show for his extended family. "It's okay to feel however you feel, mon ange."

Kurt turned over and practically fell onto Sebastian's chest and scooted as close as he could get. "It's fantastic and terrible all at once. It's everything I've ever wanted, but knowing that all of it was here while I was there is hard, so hard." Sebastian soothed him rubbing his free hand up and down Kurt's back. "At home, there was Aunt Mildred who is actually my dad's aunt. She didn't get married or have kids. My dad's brother Andy lives in Indiana and has no kids, so I have no cousins. After it was completely obvious that I wasn't going to change my ways and become less girly, Aunt Mildred didn't want anything to do with me. Holidays were just the three of us, then the two of us. I know those seven teens and young adults are my second cousins or whatever, but my mom was close to their parents, like sibling close since she was an only child and they lived near each other."

"I understand about how they could have been your cousins. You know I've told you about my cousin Philipe and our epic summer adventures. He's not actually my first cousin. My mom and dad are both only children. Philipe is actually my mom's cousin Sophie's son. Sophie's mom was Mamie's sister, Hélène. Hélène and her husband died in a car wreck before Philipe was born. Mamie and Papi took Philipe as their own grandson, when he was actually their great nephew. His dad's parents don't live in France.

"Of course, I remember your stories. You had great times with Philipe. That's what I missed out on. I could have had great times with all of my cousins too. I am so glad I got to come here. I know I'm crying, but they're good tears, really. I'm glad to have met all of them. Who knows, maybe some day I can come back and see them again. And I can add them all to Facebook or something and maybe we can keep in contact, at least a little."

Sebastian wiped the tears from Kurt's face and tipped his chin up and kissed him gently. "Try to get some sleep, mon ange."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next morning, they were treated to an Alsatian breakfast at a local restaurant. They let Kurt's Uncle Marc order for them. The meal looked decidedly unFrench to Sebastian and Kurt. They ate what was ordered for them and it was quite good. They went to mass with everyone at the Strasbourg Cathedral. Kurt refrained from saying anything, as it was something he had never brought up with his grandparents. The exterior of the church was magnificent and the interior was just as amazing. Kurt didn't really pay attention to the service. He just focused on the architecture. The service ended and the whole group moved to the Astronomical Clock. First, they watched a movie about it, and then watched it in action. Seeing the clock made sitting through a church service completely worth it to Kurt. The clock was magnificent.

No one wanted to walk up the staircase with Kurt and Sebastian because they'd all done it before and none of them wanted to haul themselves up all those stairs again. The third generation of the group just enjoyed the weather and sat around and talked and waited for Kurt and Sebastian to come back down. Kurt and Sebastian enjoyed the view and took photos. By the time the climbed back down, they knew why no one wanted to go up again. The older two generations had headed back home for the afternoon. Kurt, Sebastian and the younger group spent the day walking around and seeing the sights. They stopped at different stores and bought different treats all throughout the day. Pretzels, desserts, cheese and more. Throughout the afternoon, Kurt managed to get all of them to add him on Facebook so they could keep in contact.

By dinnertime, they all headed back to Marc's house. An amazing dinner was nearly done when they arrived. Since there were so many of them and no way to sit down all together in one location, they opted for a buffet style dinner instead of serving it in courses. Everyone filled their plates and found places to sit, the youngest mostly sitting on the floor. After dinner, the younger generation packed up the leftovers to be taken home and they washed up all the dishes. Afterwards, there were hugs and kisses and then they all packed up and headed out.

When Kurt and Sebastian got into bed that night, Kurt started talking. "That was so much fun. I don't think I've ever spent that much time with that many people with no one getting in a serious argument. Either I have had a very unusual life where no one gets along or people here are just incredibly easy going."

"I think maybe it's a combination of both. I think your cousins all get along better than a lot of families. Not that I have a big extended family to compare it to, but I've heard plenty of stories about family arguments and horrible holidays."

"Okay. Well, then maybe they are just unusual. Maybe they were all just behaving because their parents told them to. But whatever the case is, today was a lot of fun."

"What's tomorrow's plan?"

"Well, I don't have one. Grandma and Grandpa will be here to have breakfast with us, but then they're headed back to Paris. Our train isn't until tomorrow evening. So, I guess we're free to do whatever we want tomorrow - just the two of us."

"Alright. We'll eat and then we'll just head into town and do whatever we find to do."

"Tonight, I'll be the big spoon," Kurt said. Sebastian kissed Kurt then turned over. Kurt scooted up behind him and intertwined their hands and fell asleep quickly.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They enjoyed their day together in Strasbourg. It had a really different feel to it from the other places that Sebastian had been in France. They talked about its history of being caught between two countries for so long. The German influence could be seen, not only in street names and business names, but in the cuisine and the architecture as well. The area looked much more like what Kurt had seen in pictures of Germany. They stopped in lots of places and tried out even more local treats, splitting everything. They rode the carousel in Gutenberg Plaza. They opted for a traditional Alsatian dinner of sausages, ham and the works before they boarded the train back to Paris.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Tuesday morning, Sebastian awoke at 11:00 and found himself in a heap of intertwined arms and legs, looking like some strange modern art statue. Sebastian tried to move gently enough to not wake Kurt up, but didn't succeed. Kurt invoked some type of octopus yoga move and manage to pin Sebastian to the bed even more that he was before. Sebastian tried to restrain himself, but it was just too comical to stop himself from cracking up. He was shaking quietly, managing to not laugh out loud but the shaking made Kurt open his eyes. He looked at Sebastian who then burst out laughing. "Were you dreaming you were an octopus?"

Kurt just rolled his eyes. He untangled himself and got up on his hands and knees and climbed over Sebastian and then laid down flat on top of him, splaying his arms and legs. "Not an octopus, a starfish," he said as he was laughing. He quickly kissed Sebastian on the forehead and rolled back over on his side facing Sebastian.

"Okay, you win, Mr. Comedian." Sebastian rolled and faced him and kissed him again. "So, today?"

"Yeah, I think we already missed part of today. The part where we eat breakfast and get dressed. So, maybe we should just stay in bed the rest of the day and try again tomorrow."

"Well, I'm not opposed to staying in bed, but I think we might want to eat at some point. Mom said she went shopping so there should be food. I'll be right back."

Sebastian was gone for less than five minutes.

"What kind of breakfast can you make in five minutes?"

"The breakfast of champions."

"That does not look like a bowl of Wheaties."

"Wheaties? Yuck. This is the breakfast of French champions, then. Nutella on croissants."

"I'm not sure what someone who eats that for breakfast every morning could be the champion of, but I'm not opposed to giving it a try." Kurt took the plate. Sebastian left and came right back.

"And glasses of milk. Sorry, I didn't want to take the time to make coffee."

"Milk is fine." Kurt took a bite. "Oh, my God. This is good."

"I told you."

"So, we stay in bed all day. I'm honestly just tired. We've done so much walking. My boots are great - don't get me wrong. But my feet just want to be free."

"I think we can stay in bed most of the day, but I think the laundry is calling our name."

"Must you be so practical when I just want to lay here and snuggle you?"

"Oh, snuggling. You just said you wanted to stay in the bed. You never mentioned the snuggling part."

"I thought that part was a given. And there's kissing."

"See now, you didn't give me all of the details. I almost chose laundry over staying in the bed just because I didn't have all of the details. You have to be specific about these things."

"Well, this is going to be like the snuggle shopping, only we read and listen to music instead of shop."

By this point they had both finished eating. Kurt skittered off to the bathroom quickly and came back with a small bottle in his hand which he placed on the side table. Sebastian took the plates and cups to the kitchen and rinsed them.

"Can you turn some music on, please?"

Classical Spanish guitar music started to play.

"Oh, that's nice. Come lie down." Sebastian lay back down on the bed. "Turn over and scoot to the middle a bit." He did. Kurt picked up the bottle and moved to straddle Sebastian. He started to tense up. Kurt moved back to the side sitting on his knees. He leaned down and kissed the back of Sebastian's neck and showed him the bottle. "It's lotion, see. I'm going to give you a massage, if that's okay. I'm sorry I should have asked first."

"Okay. And yes, please. I'd love a massage."

"It would be easier with your shirt off. Is that okay?"

Sebastian pulled his shirt off. Kurt put just a small amount of lotion on his hands and worked it into Sebastian's shoulders and upper back, not moving any lower.

"Mmrpfh. Oh, that feels so good."

"I'm glad. That was the idea." After a few minutes, worked his way down each arm."

"You're really good at this," Sebastian said.

"Thanks. It's something I thought I'd like to do, but this is the first time I've done it. I'm glad you think it feels good." He leaned so that he could kiss Sebastian on the shoulder. He sat back up. "That's all I wanted was to make you feel relaxed and loved."

"Well, you've succeeded, mon ange." Sebastian just lay there, relaxing.

Kurt put the bottle of lotion back on the side take and he lay down on his back. "I know what we could do."

"What?"

"Well, I missed the last girls' night, so I haven't had a facial, a manicure or a pedicure in ages. All that studying and then we came here. It's definitely overdue. I'll do both of us, if you'll let me."

"Sure, why not."

"Okay. I didn't bring much with me, but maybe your mom has some stuff we can use. I'm going to go check the bathroom." He came back a few minutes later. Sebastian had put his shirt back on and was sitting against the headboard. "I think we'll have to soak our feet in the tub, but I did find some magnesium sulfate to put in the water. That will help with our aching feet from all the walking. And we can use the stuff I brought on our faces. I found clippers and nail files. I think we're set."

"Okay."

"You're a good sport."

"Why not. You're offering to pamper me. Why would I be dumb enough to turn that down?" he smiled.

Kurt pulled a chair from the dining table into the kitchen since the bathroom was too small to fit a chair in. He used a facial scrub on Sebastian's face and had Sebastian rinse in the sink while he did his own. Sebastian just sat back in the chair while Kurt rinsed his own face. Kurt applied toner and moisturizer to Sebastian's face rubbing gently and lightly massaging as he went. He applied his own much more quickly.

Kurt ran the warm water in the tub and put in the crystals and swirled them around to dissolve. He put the chair back and they moved to the bathroom. They rolled their pajamas up and sat on the side of the tub with their feet soaking for about ten minutes. They dried off and moved back to Sebastian's room.

"I'll let you trim your own toenails since you'd probably feel weird letting me do that. When you're done, I'll file them and massage your feet." Kurt trimmed his own nails sitting on the other side of the bed. He moved back to Sebastian's side and sat on the floor with a file and the small bottle of lotion he had earlier. He filed Sebastian's nails, then had him lay back in the bed for the massage so he could relax more easily. A few missteps of accidentally tickling Sebastian and he had figured out how much pressure to apply without tickling or pressing too hard. Sebastian clearly enjoyed the massage as evidenced by the moaning that could be heard.

"You are fantastic at this."

Kurt just smiled. After a few minutes, Kurt went and brought in a bowl of water from the kitchen and had Sebastian soak his hands. Afterwards, he trimmed Sebastian's nails, filed them and then massaged his hands. "I have some stuff at home that will help with the calluses and cuticles, if you want. I use it because I work on cars so much, but I like to keep my hands soft."

"Does it involve you rubbing my hands? If so, I'm all for whatever it is."

"Yes, it does."

"Mmm-k. We'll do that sometime too. That feels so good."

"The massages are a bonus, only for you. Usually after the nail trim and file, it's usually time for the nail painting, but I didn't figure you'd want that step."

"What? You're leaving part out?"

"You want me to paint your toenails and fingernails?"

"It wouldn't bother me if you did. I wouldn't be the first guy to do it around here."

"Well, it's up to you. I've only ever done my toenails with the girls because I wear boots and no one can ever see my toes. But I'll do it so long as your mom doesn't get mad at me for using her polish."

"Let's see if she has any good colors. I'm not a big fan of pink or orange. Dark blue, dark green, dark purple, those wouldn't be bad." Sebastian looked through his mom's stuff. "Plum. Perfect. Here use this one." Sebastian handed Kurt the bottle.

"Well, I don't want to get any on your bed on accident. Come sit at the dining table and I'll do it." They sat and Kurt did Sebastian's toenails first, then his fingernails. "What do you think?"

"I look like a punk rocker. Are you going to do yours?"

"Okay, I'll do mine, but when your mom asks, you can tell her the fingernail painting was your idea," Kurt laughed.

"Deal. What size clothes do Santana and Brittany wear?"

Kurt answered him.

"I'm going to go text my mom. I'll be right back.

He came back a few minutes later. "I told my mom that Santana was a self-proclaimed bitch who likes to wear red or black to intimidate people and that Brittany was a blonde fairy tale princess. She said she'd look to see what was up for grabs."

Kurt got up to put the polish away and pick up anything they had left lying around. Sebastian's phone rang and he heard Sebastian answer it.

"Yes, Dad?... Oh, okay." Sebastian just listened. "Alright. I'll work on that and I'll let you know. Did you get all of the other information I sent last week to work? Oh, good. Alright then. I'll text you with answer. Bye, Dad."

"Kurt?"

"In the living room."

"So, my dad just got a little wrench thrown into his plan. He was finalizing the contract for my car to be driven to Hartford. And he found out that the car cannot have anything in it. So, he came up with two alternatives. First one, he just pays to ship my boxes. But I didn't really pack them to be ready to go into the mail or Fedex. Second one, I go with you to Columbus, we drive by and pick up my boxes on the way to your house and he pays for a small pull behind U-Haul trailer and we split the driving three ways."

"Well, it's really up to you. If you don't think the boxes are packed well enough to ship, then I'd go with the second option. I'd need to add you as a driver to my insurance, but that might be a good idea anyway. That way you'd be able to drive the Navigator whenever you want. I didn't even think about it that day you drove from Goodwill to the Zoo that day. But that was just a short distance and nothing went wrong fortunately. Maybe we should just see how much a combined policy for the three of us on both vehicles would be and split the cost. It would probably be cheaper than having separate policies. It's something we should talk to your dad about."

"I'll go call him back. Come with me and I'll put it on speaker phone so we can work it all out." They called and talked to him and they hung up after deciding they'd each call their insurance agent and get quotes. The eventually got it worked out to get the best rate and have all three guys covered on both cars. They also decided that Sebastian would go back with Kurt, so Sebastian had to change his ticket again.

"So, we have 14 days left here. I know there are things on your to-see list that we haven't done yet. We can plan those out."

Kurt had been sorting their laundry when Sebastian was on the phone and he was still working on it while they were talking. "Okay. I'll think about that." He finished up and went back and sat in the bed against the headboard. "Come sit with me," he patted the bed. "You've let me choose pretty much everything this whole trip. I want you to enjoy your time at home too, not just play tour guide for me. I want you to do whatever you were looking forward to doing. I know that you had planned on me being here for the first three weeks, but these next couple of weeks, I want you to do whatever you can of what you were going to do when you came back in July and August. I don't want to feel like I overshadowed your whole time at home. I know I said it when I first got here, but I was serious. You can go out and do whatever you were looking forward to doing. I can stay home and read or just go for a walk."

Sebastian took his hand. "The best part about being here this summer has been that you're here with me. Honestly, I hadn't even really given any thought to what I'd be doing. I hadn't planned an agenda. This is the first time that I've been home for more than three weeks and that was at Christmas and my mom was off for a lot of that time. I spent time with her and my grandparents the rest of my family. If you hadn't come, I would have honestly just spent some time sightseeing and going to museums and the rest would have just been me hanging out here at home reading. I'd have cooked for my mom. Summer breaks here are much shorter than in Ohio. High school students don't get out of school until the first or second week of July. So, honestly, I'm not used to having such long breaks. We've done everything I would have done and more. The only thing that would be different if you weren't here is that I wouldn't be having nearly as much fun."

"As long as you're sure. I'd still like you to choose at least half of the things we're going to do before we leave. And we need to get boxes and pack up whatever you're shipping."

"That's true. I'll text my mom and see if she can get boxes and bring them home. We'll still need to go get packing tape." Sebastian texted her.

"So, snuggling, laundry, packing, reading, listening to music."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Snuggling first."

"I think we should include snuggling before we get ready and leave for school each day. I want to start each day together. So, even if we have to wake up 15 minutes early, it will be worth it I think."

"I think so. It has made a huge difference in how I feel. The cuddling makes me feel...safe and important."

"Well, I'll always do what I can to keep you safe and you are important." He turned and kissed Sebastian gently. "So, snuggle position of choice?"

"My head on your chest." They lay that way for a while. Sebastian started tracing patterns on Kurt's chest. Kurt eventually realized that he was spelling something. "I.L.O.V.E.Y.O.U." Kurt kissed him on top of the head.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

A little later, they heard " _Sebastian_ " being called from the living room. They got up and went into the living room.

" _Were you two sleeping still? No, Sebastian texted me earlier. Is that nail polish?_ "

" _Um, well, I had the idea to have a spa day. We were both tired from all of the walking. So, I gave us manicures and pedicures and partial facials. I don't have all of my stuff here._ "

" _The texts make more sense now. So, I brought what you requested, Sebastian. Go put some clothes on, or at least some shoes and bring up the boxes you asked for. Kurt, I brought four dresses. I've not seen the girls so I wasn't sure of their shapes. Sizing is more than just a number, as you know. So, the dresses are in the garment bag on the chair there,_ " she pointed.

Kurt went and opened the bags. Sebastian slipped out of the apartment to go bring the boxes up. Kurt pulled out all four dresses. " _Oh, wow. They're lovely. I'll definitely take the two more casual dresses. I want them to be able to wear them when they dress up to go out. The other two are stunning, but where I come from those are more like dresses to wear to prom. There's nothing else really fancy enough to call for dresses like that. Thank you so much for bringing these._ "

" _You're welcome. Sebastian said that they were some type of 'I'm sorry.' gift for two of your friends._ " She moved to the kitchen to get something quick for lunch.

" _Yes. Sebastian apologized to Santana last week on the phone, but she demanded a dress for herself and her girlfriend as reparation._ "

" _I see._ "

" _She's a bit exploitative. She's the one that blackmailed the bully that forced me to change schools into forming the Bullywhips. She not only forced him to stop bullying me so I would go back to McKinley, but she also forced him to protect me by walking me to class and keeping the other bullies from bullying me._ "

" _Not the type to cross then._ "

" _No, but Sebastian did anyway. I'm sure that he had no idea of her rep at McKinley. Otherwise, I doubt he would have gotten into any confrontations with her. But she keeps her end of deals. The dresses are fantastic and she will eliminate Sebastian from her 'adversary list'._ "

Sebastian came back in with a few boxes under his arm. " _Sweetie, what you asked for is in the other garment bag on the back of the couch. I need to get going back to work. I'll see you both when I get back home,_ " Lisette said as she came out of the kitchen holding a sandwich. She winked at Sebastian and left.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"What was that about? You're up to something," Kurt said.

"Who me?"

"Definitely you." Kurt moved over to where he was standing and kissed him. "What's in the other garment bag? I saw your mom wink at you."

"Well, this might be kind of hard to do, but I want to try. Go in the bedroom and close your eyes." Kurt walked to the bedroom and sat on his side of the bed and closed his eyes. "Okay. I'm going to put some clothes on the bed next to you. I want you to put them on, but don't open your eyes until I come back and say to open them."

"Okay."

Sebastian laid a shirt and a pair of jeans on the bed. Then, he left and changed in the bathroom, punked his hair a little, and put on some eye liner and mascara. He went back into the room and said, "Open your eyes now."

"Oh, wow. That looks really good on you. I never thought about how you'd look in make up, but it looks good on you and I like the outfit. It looks like you're going to a rock concert." He looked down at himself. "I look like I'm going with you, except I need to get my hair right and put make up on too. I'll put my black Docs on. You can wear my white ones if you don't have any of the right type of shoes for that outfit." Kurt went in the bathroom and found the mascara and eyeliner and put some on himself. When he went back in the bedroom, Sebastian had some black boots of his own on.

"We definitely need a photo of this. Let's prop my phone up and use the timer. Maybe on the dining table. We can stand against the wall." They got several shots of themselves. Several of them were of them laughing from trying to look tough and completely failing at it because they kept laughing.

"So, this is fun, but was there any reason we did this?"

"Nope. Just to have fun. You did our nails and then I thought about how much fun it would be to finish out our punk look. Maybe we can wear these outfits to a costume party or something fun sometime. We look good, even if we don't look quite like our usual selves."

"So, shall we go out and have lunch as our punk rock alter egos and grab some packing tape while we're out?"

"Sure," Sebastian replied.

"I think we need some bracelets or something to finish off our outfits."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They headed out and they had made it about halfway to the office supply store when Kurt's phone rang. He answered. It was the passport office. "We need to make another stop while we're out. My passport is ready to pick up."

"Okay. I guess we're going farther away from the apartment than I thought. We'll just eat somewhere near there and get the tape wherever we can find it. I'm not all that familiar with that area, but we have to be able to get it somewhere. Let's go."

About two hours later, they were back at the apartment, passport and packing tape in hand.

"There for a minute, I was afraid the employee at the passport office wasn't going to give me my passport because I looked too different from my photo. I'll definitely refrain from dressing like this when I travel. But I do love dressing up."

"I've not done it much since I was a lot younger. But I agree. It's fun."

Kurt put the passport in his document holder. They spent the afternoon going through Sebastian's stuff. They folded and packed his winter clothes very carefully to use the space in the box to its maximum capacity and addressed it. They carefully packed all of the shoes and boots that Sebastian didn't plan on wearing in the next few weeks. They stacked the boxes in the closet. "I can take two suitcases on the flight. We need to get you another suitcase so you have room to take all of your stuff home."

"You're going to need to pack at least one more box, plus what we can fit in your suitcases."

"Let's go surprise Mom at work. We'll stop by the bakery and pick up her favorite treat and get a suitcase for you. It's not that far. We can browse on the way. We can go buy a suitcase somewhere near where she works and bring it home in the car rather than trying to wrestle with it on the Metro to get it home."

"Okay."

Lisette was surprised to see them. " _You two look good. I like how the outfits look on the two of you. The make up looks good too._ " She looked in the bag that Sebastian handed her. " _Thanks for the cookies._ "

" _You're welcome. Kurt needs to get another suitcase. I was also thinking about doing some back-to-school shopping, maybe a new backpack. Where's the best luggage store that's close by?_ " Lisette gave them the name of a store and directions. The two of them left and went and found a decent suitcase for Kurt. They took it back and put it in Lisette's trunk.

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" _I really think we both need new backpacks. I know you're used to carrying a messenger bag, but I think you're going to need more room than that. You'll have dance clothes and books and no locker to store stuff in between classes. My backpack isn't big enough to hold my laptop and textbooks either._ "

" _I hadn't honestly thought about it. But you're probably right. I won't want to be running back and forth to my car for stuff between classes. I'll want to maximize my study time. Do you know a good place to get one?_ "

" _Yeah, there's this sporting goods store called Decathlon not far from here. Let's go over there._ " Once they arrived, the looked through the selection. " _I know this is meant to hold skis and snowboards on the outside, but it would work to fasten a jacket to the outside too I think, and maybe an umbrella. It's lightweight and water resistant, has room for laptops and books. And they're on sale. They must be last year's models. There's plum, black with blue trim, a muted gray print, a dark blue print, and dark green._ "

" _Why does the shoulder strap have a clip like that?_ " An employee walked over and demonstrated how to use the clip to slip the backpack around to the front easily.

" _That's a cool feature,_ " Sebastian said. " _It has the chest clips and waist straps which could help if the bag's full._ "

Kurt said, " _Let's get them. They're only like $15. If we hate them, we can find something we like better later and donate these to a local school._ "

" _So, how about we get that green one for Sam. He probably needs a new bag too. New school, new life, new backpack,_ " Sebastian laughed.

" _Good idea_." They moved to the register and bought the plum, green and dark blue backpacks. Kurt put Sam's backpack inside his. They left the store wearing the backpacks and walked back toward Vogue.

"I should make a list of things that he needs. He never asks for stuff or tells anyone what he needs or wants. I'll have to practically drag him out to go shopping for school. He never spends any money on himself. I think the only thing I've seen him buy that wasn't an absolute necessity was that Star Wars otter shirt at the aquarium. And he probably justified that because my dad paid for his ticket and he wasn't dipping into his savings to get the shirt. He just used the money that he had set aside for the ticket to buy it. He's like a master at not spending money. He won't need new shoes because I let him go through mine and we wear the same size. But he's going to have to have the uniform pieces. I feel kind of bad because I sent him to Kentucky for the three weeks I was here and he could have stayed in Lima working for two more weeks and then gone to Kentucky for three weeks. That made him lose out on close to $350."

"That's not exactly your fault."

"I know, but it doesn't change the fact that he's back in Lima without me, jobless right now."

"I know you miss him."

"Yes. I absolutely do. He's crazy and so energetic. He just makes me laugh. I really hope you guys get along. Please tell me you don't dislike him and that you're not going to turn into some sort of jealous maniac because he hugs me or because he's male and likes me."

Sebastian stopped walking and moved the two of them to a bench out of the way. "Kurt, look at me. I'm not that kind of guy. I like Sam. I think the two of us will get along just fine. I'm hoping that we can become really good friends too. He's been so good to you. How could I dislike someone who cares for you?"

"You mean that?"

"Of course I mean it. He loves you. You love him. Why would I try to take that away from you? That just doesn't even make sense. People can love more than one person and love each person differently."

Kurt practically fell into Sebastian's arms. "Thank you."

Sebastian just pulled him close. "Don't cry, mon ange. You can have friends. I want you to be happy." He pulled back a bit and tipped Kurt's chin up. "I mean it. I have no intention of isolating you. You're not my possession." He kissed him gently. "I love you."

"I want you to have friends too. You know that right? I know that you isolated yourself last school year. But if you want to make new friends, I'm all for that."

Sebastian nodded. "We'll start with Sam. You already trust him. And I trust you. And there's already Nick, Jeff, and Thad. They won't be too far away to do things with. If I meet any new interesting people, I'll consider befriending some of them."

"Good enough. Should we head out again?" Kurt stood and pulled Sebastian up by the hand, and didn't let go once he was standing.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

When they got to Vogue, Lisette wasn't done yet. Kurt and Sebastian sat in one of the empty conference rooms and waited for her.

"I'm going to check Sam's school website. By now, they may be posting stuff for the fall." Kurt clicked through several links. "Sam has to do SAT prep this summer. That's really cool that they offer that. McKinley didn't do anything like that." He kept looking. "Aha, here's where we have to get the uniforms from." Kurt clicked and started choosing Sam's size and put them in the shopping cart. "Oh, my!"

"What?" Sebastian asked.

"It's like $400 to buy three long-sleeved and three short-sleeved shirts and three pairs of pants. That's a lot of money."

"It's not that bad. The Dalton uniforms weren't exactly cheap."

"I just hadn't really thought about it. You can't tell him. This was all my idea. I'll figure out a way to get the money to buy the uniforms."

Sebastian knew Kurt well and knew that arguing would do no good. He just nodded.

"It's late enough in the day that I'm going to call Sam."

"Do you want me to leave the room?"

"No. Why would I want that? You're silly sometimes." He put his hand on Sebastian's knee and squeezed. He didn't know if he could get away with kissing him, so he didn't try it.

Kurt called Sam and put the phone on speaker.

"Hey, Kurt!"

"Hey, Sam. Sebastian and I are just wondering how you are. I'm sorry you're there by yourself."

"Yeah, it's a bummer that you're not here, but I've been hanging out with Puck a little since this weekend. He told me to thank you again for the job the next time I talked to you. He's been working a lot. He's been putting the money in an account his ma can't get to and he thinks he'll be able to get an apartment in July sometime. Once he does that, he's going to petition to get his sister."

"That's great."

"Rachel's mostly been AWOL since I've been back. I'm not sure what's going on, but when Carole gets back this evening, I'm going to get her alone and ask. Sebastian's a good guy and I'm not going to help Rachel 'save you from yourself', as she has put it. But it's odd that she's not been around."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Sam," Sebastian said.

"Hey, no problem, dude. You make Kurt happy. What's not to like about that?"

"I just told him something very similar to that just a little bit ago," Sebastian said laughing.

"I called to tell you that things have changed a bit again. It turns out that Sebastian's car has to be empty to have the driver take it to Connecticut. So, Sebastian will be flying back with me and we'll need to go by his dad's place and grab his boxed up stuff and take it back to Lima with us. His dad is going to pay for a pull-behind U-Haul if we need it. We can split the driving three ways. We'll be arriving on the 3rd. I'll send you the flight details. Can you arrange the U-Haul rental for the 5th? If you're not old enough, can you get Carole to do it? I think to rent a car, you have to be in your 20s. I'm not sure about a U-Haul. We can always cancel it if we don't end up needing it."

"Sure thing."

"Also, we're going to need boxes and tape. Can you get those as well?"

"Yep."

"I have an idea for you. I just thought of it. I know that you are stuck there for two weeks with virtually nothing to do. Why don't you see if you can find anyone that needs some yard work or handyman stuff done? You can use the Navigator to haul around the lawn mower and weed eater. Just open a couple of boxes flat and cover the back of the Navigator so it doesn't end up with grass stains all over it. Maybe you can at least make a little money."

"Actually, the diner called while I was gone and the new person they hired already flaked out. The manager asked me to come in the next two weeks and work as many hours as I can while he finds someone new and gets them trained. I already worked a shift Saturday evening, Sunday morning and last night. I'm pretty much working every evening. But I could still go out and see what I can wrestle up for yard work during the daytime. Extra money is extra money. "

"I'm glad you're not going to be bored out of your mind for two weeks."

"Yeah, I already did the 'do practically nothing for three weeks' vacation. I've had enough of that."

"That's what Kurt and I are going to do this week - the 'practically nothing' portion of our vacation. My mom, my grandparents and his grandparents have had us very busy. Plus, we went out the first couple of weeks and walked our feet off being tourists. We want to just relax for a few days."

"Well, you have fun relaxing while I go make balloon animals and whip up some extra cash. I know I'm going to need it because I do not like sleeping on the floor."

"Me neither," Sebastian laughed.

"Nope. We definitely need beds," Kurt said.

Kurt saw Lisette look into the room. "We have to go, Sam. Sebastian's mom is done and we need to leave with her. I'll call again soon."

"Bye."

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Lisette came in the room and saw the concerned look on Kurt's face. " _What's wrong, Kurt?_ "

" _It's not so much that anything is wrong, it's just that in choosing to stay, which I very much wanted to do and do not regret choosing, I also chose to give up two weeks of work, which I honestly needed for the move. I've spent some of the money I had saved up for the move here on some very useful items that will serve me well, but weren't on my to-purchase list for the month of June. I could have made at least $1000 if I had gone back to Lima and picked up hours from anyone that wanted a few hours off at the shop._ "

" _I have a question for you._ "

" _Okay._ "

" _If you had the materials and everything you needed, how long would it take you to make a set of three brooches? A bee, a dragonfly and a butterfly._ "

" _Well, probably six hours, maybe more. Why?_ "

" _Let me get back to you on the why. Can you guys wait around for another 15 minutes or so?_ "

" _Sure, Mom._ "

" _What is she up to now?_ "

" _Who knows. We'll find out soon enough._ "

Lisette came back about 15 minutes later, but didn't say anything about the brooches. The three of them headed to the car and went home. They spent the evening in, ate a simple dinner and watched a movie.

Kurt and Sebastian got ready for bed early and listened to music while reading in bed.

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They were both ready for the actual vacation part of their summer. The next several days they spent their time reading, taking walks, listening to music and snuggling - things that both of them enjoyed. They made a final list of the places they want to visit before they left. They cooked together, danced, and watched a couple of movies. And they finally got around to doing the laundry. They went to one more swing dance lesson just for fun. They went to a karaoke bar and sang together. They also planned one more large meal that they wanted to prepare for their families before they left.


	18. Chapter 18

Everyone was available for a Saturday evening meal and so Kurt and Sebastian spent the afternoon cooking at Mamie and Papi's house. Kurt's grandparents were there when they arrived as well. While they were there, Kurt talked to Papi and asked him to help him with the financial decisions that he needed to make. Papi set everything up and Kurt signed the forms. Papi suggested that they talk again another day about the choices Kurt could make. They spent the afternoon cooking and talking with their grandparents and Lisette. Sebastian also invited Sophie and her husband Robert, who arrived just before dinnertime.

Kurt had heard stories involving Sophie and Robert, but he had never met them. Sophie was the same height, build and complexion as Lisette, with the same green eyes. Her hair was slightly darker and curly. She wore it slightly longer than shoulder length. Robert had olive skin, golden dark brown eyes, and smooth, black wavy hair that he wore fairly long. He could tuck it behind his ears, but not pull it back in a ponytail. He was about the same height as Sebastian, with a muscular build.

" _Well, this is surprisingly delicious, boys,_ " Sophie said. " _I knew you enjoyed cooking Sebastian, but I didn't realize how good you are at it. At least we all know you won't go off to college and subsist on...what are those called...oh yes...'ramen noodles' that we hear jokes about on American TV shows._ "

Kurt laughed. " _Definitely not. My best friend, Sam, will be living with us too and he can cook as well. So, no one will be starving or subsisting on junk food. Sebastian, Sam, and I are definitely not going to starve._ "

They enjoyed their meal and the conversation flowed from topic to topic. Kurt's grandparents always enjoyed their time with Sebastian's family. Once everyone had finished eating, Kurt and Sebastian packed up the leftovers and washed all of the dishes, while everyone else had a glass of wine in the living room. When Sophie and Robert were ready to leave, they offered to take Kurt's grandparents home. Everyone had a good time, which is what Kurt and Sebastian had hoped for.

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When they were home in bed, lying quietly, Sebastian turned over and started talking. "Remember when you asked me what I would do if I were here in July and August?"

"Of course."

"I'd spend time with Philipe. He's the one person that I've always spent my summer breaks with since we were kids. That didn't happen last summer. And now, I'm going to leave before he gets out of school and I'll miss seeing him again this summer. I keep in contact with him through email and phone calls, and we Skyped during the school year sometimes, but spending time with him in person is what I would have done if I were here in July and August."

"He spends the summers at Mamie and Papi's. Does that mean his school is somewhere nearby as well? Can you go visit him at school at least? Maybe tomorrow we could go see him at least for a few hours."

"He went off to London to boarding school last fall. He's not exactly nearby. He's come home and Sophie and Robert have gone to see him, but since we've been back, he's not come here. He wanted to improve his English to have a better chance at getting into a university in England or the States. He'll be a senior next year, so he'll be applying to places in the fall. He'll be back in France for his final year though." He paused. "At least we got to spend Christmas together."

Kurt just pulled Sebastian in tight and held him. He couldn't do anything but be there for him.

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Sunday morning, Kurt awoke and Sebastian was lying facing him just looking at him. Sebastian smiled when Kurt opened his eyes. Kurt pulled the covers up over his head and Sebastian just pulled them back down again. "Hey, I was enjoying the view."

Sebastian pulled Kurt's hand up and kissed it. "I love you and you're beautiful."

"Thank you." Kurt put the covers back down and scooted closer and kissed him. "Sometimes it's still hard to believe that all of this is real."

"Come closer and lie on me." Kurt scooted closer and put his head on Sebastian's chest. Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt.

"Honestly, your life in Ohio was a lot of unrelenting unfairness. And it's true that these last few weeks have been of the fairy tale variety, but this is real. I want to be with you. You're who I love. You are smart, funny, sarcastic, hardworking, talented, and totally hot. A bit shy and reserved at times and other times bold and outgoing. And I love to hear you sing."

"You know, I wasn't fishing for compliments. You don't have to keep saying those things."

"Those aren't compliments. Those things are just statements of fact. Compliments are about how someone does something. I can compliment how an outfit looks on you or how you've sung a song. And I will do that too." Sebastian squeezed him a little. "And I wouldn't waste my time flattering you. Flattery is insincere and it's like lying. We don't lie to each other."

"I know we don't lie to each other. I'm working on all of it. Believing those things about myself is hard and accepting compliments is hard. It's probably the hardest thing for me to overcome. Changing how I feel is a lot harder than learning something new and adjusting my stance on a topic."

"I know." He slid down in the bed so he could look Kurt in the eyes. "Just know that I'm going to keep telling you. One day, you'll believe me." He kissed him and held him close.

"Are you ready to go pack our picnic and head out to the Île de la Cité?"

"Hmm. Of course, I really want to go, but it's super cozy with you right here."

"Come one, we can snuggle more in our new apartment. Notre Dame awaits."

"Fine, fine, but more kisses first."

Ten minutes later, they got up and ate a light breakfast while packing a picnic. They headed out to see the sites that were on their list in the Île de la Cité. When they arrived, they walked around the outside of Notre Dame, just admiring the magnificent carvings and architecture.

"It's just amazing thinking about how next year will be the 850th anniversary of when the construction was started. Nothing in America is anywhere near that old. There is just so much history visible here," Sebastian said.

"I really like the flying buttresses. They give the building a really unique look. Let's go inside."

Kurt was mesmerized again by the immensity of the manpower and structural design that went into creating the cathedral. "I'm not dissing modern technology and people who make major advancements in all fields, but I don't think I've ever met anyone who could create buildings like these."

After walking through the cathedral, they found a place where they could eat their picnic lunch. They watched boats go by on the Seine while they ate. Afterwards, they walked to Point Zéro. They continued their walk through Île de la Cité and went to the flower market.

"This is the kind of place my mom would have loved. I wonder if she ever came here."

"You'll have to ask your grandparents."

Kurt nodded.

They took a guided tour of La Conciergerie. Afterward, they continued walking and they passed the gold laden gates and the Palais de Justice on their way to Sainte-Chapelle to take the tour there as well. When they left, they walked around just talking and enjoying the sites.

"Those stained glass windows in Sainte-Chapelle were magnificent. I bet the concerts in there are fantastic. The acoustics would be so interesting to work with."

"I'm sure you're right. I'd love to go to a concert there sometime too."

They decided to eat dinner at a brasserie nearby. After they finished eating, they walked all the way to the tip of the Isle through the park and just enjoyed watching the boats for a little while before they walked back across the Seine on Pont Neuf. Sebastian took Kurt to a second-hand bookshop and they browsed the store.

"Just for fun, I'm going to take you into the Louis Vitton main store. Of course, absolutely nothing in there will be affordable, but browsing is free. At least I think it's free," Sebastian teased.

Kurt just nudged him. "You know that I would never spend $500 on a wallet or $2000 on a backpack. I might love fashion and the art and glamour of it, but I'm a frugal person. But looking could be fun. Let's go."

By the time they came out, the sun was starting to set and they walked back toward the Seine and found a place to sit and watch the sun set over the water.

"One morning later this summer, I want us to get up really early and drive to the beach and watch the sunrise together," Kurt said.

"You know what the best part of what you just said is

"What?"

"Us together."

Kurt kissed Sebastian gently and stood up, pulling Sebastian up with him.

"I'd love to go to watch sunrise with you, mon ange," he said as he pulled Kurt closer and hugged him. "Let's head to the Metro before it gets completely dark."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

When they got back to the apartment, Lisette was in the living room reading a magazine.

" _Good evening boys. Did you enjoy your sightseeing?_ "

" _Definitely,_ " Kurt said.

" _Well, I have a proposition for you. Remember when I asked how long it would take for you to make three brooches?_ "

" _Yes._ "

" _Well, I have found a way to make that happen, if you're willing. There is someone who wants to commission the three brooches and they're willing to pay $1000 for them._ "

" _What?_ " Kurt asked as if he had completely misunderstood what had been said to him.

" _Well, I know it's not quite as much as you could have earned by working in your father's shop, but it would be enough to buy Sam's bed and whatever else is at the top of your priority list._ "

" _Sam's uniforms. I was looking them up Friday when we were waiting for you at work. I need $400 to cover the cost of the minimum number I think he can get away with owning. We can live without a couch or other furniture, but Sam can't attend school out of uniform. It was one of the unplanned, high-priority expenditures. I'm not sure how I let it slip my radar on the expenses list, but it did._ "

" _And he can't cover the cost?_ "

" _I doubt it. He was sending pretty much every extra dime he had to his parents to help them take care of his brother and sister. This plan of mine had been a long time in the works, but only recently came together. And I hadn't told him about it at all. I figured the worst thing would be to get his hopes up and then have them dashed if I couldn't get everything to work. After I got my acceptance letters in April, and I got everything lined up, that's when I told him about it. He started saving instead of sending them the money after he told his parents about it. The last time was about 5 weeks ago, but he's been in Kentucky with them for three of those weeks not working. He'll have maybe $400 total saved up by three weeks from now because the diner asked him to come in and work even though he had quit before he left. So, he's been working again since last weekend._ "

" _I see._ "

" _I knew going into this that the upfront costs were all going to be covered by me. If I were moving there without him, all of the expenses would have been mine. I knew that and I had been saving and planning. It's just that a trip to France was no where on my radar of things that could possibly happen to me. My plan included working as many hours as possible from the time school got out until the first week in July. So, by coming, I lost three weeks of pay. Then by staying, I lost the last two weeks that I had budgeted for in my revised budget. So, when I realized how expensive the uniforms were, it was just a big reminder about money and how much of it I need. I will make the brooches._ "

" _Great! Do you think you could complete them in two days? One day doing the metal work and one day doing the enameling?_ "

" _Yes._ "

" _Okay. I'm going to get everything arranged tomorrow._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"I still can't believe someone wants to pay that much for the brooches," Kurt said as he and Sebastian lay in bed in the dark.

"They're really lovely and unique. You're just not used to being around people who appreciate the finer things in life." Sebastian teased.

"Well, of course not. I went to school with people who had mullets."

Sebastian laughed and about choked from laughing so hard.

"You completely ruined my smooth line that came next," Sebastian said once he stopped coughing and laughing.

"And what was that?"

"That I definitely do." Sebastian said in a smooth voice as he began kissing Kurt's neck.

"Is that so?" Kurt asked and moved closer

"It is."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next morning over breakfast, Kurt and Sebastian discussed what else they wanted to do before the end of their vacation. After they finished eating and cleaning up the kitchen, they went back into the bedroom.

"Looking at my original long list, we haven't been to the Pantheon, Luxembourg Gardens, Musée d'Orsay, Centre Pompidou,"

Sebastian interrupted with "How many more museums do you want to go to?"

"Maybe just one. It's not that I don't want to see all of them, I just want to enjoy the rest of what we do here and not feel rushed."

"We could do the Pantheon and Luxembourg Gardens on the same day." Sebastian sat down on the bed.

"Okay. And I'd really like to go out ballroom dancing with you."

"That sounds like fun. Anything else?"

"Well, I'd like you to pick something."

"I'd like to take you out to a jazz bar or something, where we listen to music and maybe dance, just slow dancing."

"Mmm. That sounds nice." Kurt sat down next to him.

"And I still have some packing to do."

"I'm going to text your mom about when she's arranged for me to work on those brooches. Why don't you look up places to go ballroom dancing and a jazz club to visit?"

They each grabbed their phones and Sebastian bookmarked a couple of places that sounded interesting to look at again later.

Kurt's phone beeped. "Your mom says that I can work on the brooches this evening and tomorrow morning." It beeped again. "She also said don't make any plans for Friday, Saturday or Sunday."

"Did she say why?" Kurt shook his head. "Okay, then that leaves this morning and afternoon, tomorrow afternoon and evening, all day Wednesday, Thursday morning and afternoon, and maybe Thursday evening. At some point we have to do laundry and prep for whatever she's planned for those three days."

Kurt got up and got a piece of paper and made a chart. "So, how about Tuesday evening for the jazz club? If we headed down towards my grandparents, maybe we could all go to a jazz club. Do you think your grandparents would like it?"

"I'm sure they would."

"I'll call mine and find out, while you call yours."

They both finished their calls and got the same answer from both sets of grandparents.

"So, we just need to pick a place near your grandparents and then we can ride down with my grandparents."

"Sounds like a good plan." They continued to work on their itinerary until they fit everything in. "It looks like tomorrow afternoon is the only empty slot."

"Tomorrow afternoon I'm going to take you someplace that will be a surprise."

"Okay. Let's get ready and head out to the Pantheon and Luxembourg Gardens before it gets any later," Kurt said.

They enjoyed their walk through both places. There weren't many people in Luxembourg Garden and Sebastian seemed to be in quite the silly mood. He kept leading them off into deserted paths to look at more statues that he didn't bother looking at. He just kept watching Kurt mostly. He had his arms around Kurt's waist with his chin propped on Kurt's left shoulder.

"What's up with you?" Kurt asked. "You're just looking at me and not at the art."

"It's a lot more fun to watch you look at the art than it is to look at it myself. You're my living artwork to watch."

"You're being crazy today," Kurt laughed.

Sebastian grabbed Kurt's hand and twirled him and started singing, "Maybe I'm crazy, maybe you're crazy, maybe we're crazy, ooh".

Deciding to join in on the silliness, Kurt led them down an empty path and started singing, "I'm crazy for you, touch me once and you'll know it's true, I never wanted anyone like this..." while dancing and twirling Sebastian around this time.

When he stopped singing, Sebastian pulled him close and kissed him. "A Madonna fan, hm?"

"Of course, you saw the "4 Minutes" video. Did you not see the 'Vogue' video that I directed?"

"I think that's another one I missed. I'll have to watch that one when we get home." Sebastian returned to kissing Kurt.

Kurt pulled back a little and said, "I thought we came to the park to see the artwork and the flowers."

"Mmm. You were misinformed. We came to the park to take a romantic stroll and to be all lovey-dovey like tourists."

"I see."

Sebastian pulled him closer and started to slow dance and sing again. "...And I can't believe, that I'm your man and I get to kiss you baby just because I can. Whatever comes our way we'll see it through... And in this crazy life and through these crazy times, it's you, it's you. You make me sing."

Kurt finally just gave in and relaxed and enjoyed the attention. Sebastian was serenading him in a secluded are of a beautiful park while dancing with him. This was all for him. When he finished singing, Kurt kissed him.

Kurt started singing again, "... I won't hesitate no more, no more it cannot wait, I'm yours...there's no need to complicate our time, it's short, this is our fate. I'm yours. ooh...ohh...mmm..."

Sebastian just smiled. Kurt finally completely relaxed in his arms as he sang. Kurt had accepted that this was real.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian enjoyed the openness that had come over Kurt in the park that afternoon. While they cooked dinner, Kurt was so much more relaxed than Sebastian had ever seen him. It was like watching weights fall off of Kurt's shoulders. The spark that Sebastian had seen in his eyes from time to time was continually present. The nearly constant vigilance that was so ingrained was slipping away, allowing Kurt be free.

Kurt hummed and danced around the kitchen. Lisette came in and saw, looked at Sebastian, and he shook his head almost imperceptibly letting his mom know not to say or ask anything.

" _Oh, hi Lisette. Dinner's almost done._ "

" _It smells great._ "

" _I'll be back in a few minutes. I'm going to go call my grandparents and make the final arrangements for tomorrow evening. You can call yours in a few minutes_." Sebastian walked into Lisette's room.

She whispered, " _So, what happened that Kurt looks like that?_ "

" _He finally got over the feeling that all of this is a dream and accepted that it's real. It happened in the park this afternoon. I've never seen him so carefree before._ "

" _I've never seen YOU so carefree before. I can tell how much you love him._ "

" _I really do._ "

Lisette hugged him. " _I'm really glad the two of you have each other now._ "

Sebastian called his grandparents, then went back into the kitchen and gave Kurt the details so he could call his grandparents.

Over dinner, they talked about where they were going for Kurt to do the first part of the work on the brooches. They cleaned up quickly and they headed out. Both Lisette and Sebastian enjoyed watching Kurt bring a piece of scrap metal to life. A few hours later, the forms of the bee, butterfly and dragonfly were ready for the next step. Lisette gave Sebastian the address of where he needed to take Kurt the next morning to do the rest of the work while Kurt was cleaning up the area he had used.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt showered first, as usual, and was lying in bed in the dark for Sebastian when he came back. Sebastian came in and closed the door behind him and walked carefully to the bed, unsure whether Kurt was already asleep. Sebastian had brought Kurt's bottle of lotion with him from the bathroom and placed it quietly on his side table. He lay down gently, but when Kurt reached for him, he realized that he didn't have to be so cautious.

"Good, you're not asleep. I was hoping that you'd let me give you a massage."

"Of course," Kurt said and started to turn over and he moved his pillow onto Sebastian's.

"Will you take your shirt off? I brought your lotion with me."

Kurt rolled back over and sat up and took his shirt off, placed it on his pillow and lay back down face down.

Sebastian picked the lotion up and placed it on the bed. "Can you scoot toward the middle? Is it okay if I straddle your back so I can reach easier?"

"Yes, definitely."

Sebastian climbed over and sat gently, opened the bottle and put some on his hands and gently rubbed Kurt's shoulders.

"That feels so good." He could feel that Sebastian was relaxed and enjoying giving him the massage. He wasn't hesitant like the other times he had rubbed Kurt's shoulders. The afternoon in the park had been a release for both of them.

After Sebastian had finished Kurt's back, he asked him to turn over. "Can I do your arms and hands too?"

"Any time you want. This is awesome. I've never had a massage. I'd say you could be a masseur instead of a professor, but then I'd have to share you and I have no intention of doing that."

Sebastian laughed. "Not a chance. This is just for the two of us."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next morning, they headed out quickly after breakfast to get started on the next part of creating the brooches. Lizette had managed to book studio time in an art co-op for Kurt. He spent all morning working on the brooches.

Between working on the brooch pieces, Kurt had a fun project for Sebastian and himself. He had made two large pendant-sized circular pieces and one layered heart-shaped piece with holes in them the evening before when Sebastian and Lisette were busy talking and not paying attention to him. He showed Sebastian how to use the metal stamps to engrave words into the metal and how to make sure the enamel was imbedded into the stamped letters.

He engraved "mon choix" on the back with a geometric pattern on the front of his. Sebastian followed Kurt's lead and put "mon ange" on his and created a design as well. Sebastian used his mom's favorite colors to create a pattern on the heart pendant.

Sebastian worked on his pieces while Kurt went back and forth between the three pieces he was working on. Kurt taught Sebastian how to use the propane torch and let him fire his own pieces. The morning turned out to be a lot of fun for both of them. On their way back home, Kurt had Sebastian take them to a place where he could buy thin leather strapping for the necklaces.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Lisette came home at lunchtime to pick up the brooches. She was planning to take them back to work with her to photograph them for Kurt's portfolio before handing them over to the purchaser. Kurt and Sebastian surprised her with lunch and a small box sitting next to her plate.

" _Well, you two, I didn't expect lunch, and what's this? A gift?_ "

" _It's for you, from both of us,_ " Kurt said.

" _Open it._ "

" _Boys, it's lovely._ "

" _Kurt made the metal part last night and today he taught me how to use the enameling powder and how to fire the pieces._ "

" _Well, I love it,_ " she said as she put it on. " _You used my favorite colors and it's really lovely._ "

They both smiled.

She looked over the brooches as well. " _Kurt these are wonderful._ " She turned them over and checked for the numbers and initials she had asked for. She wrapped them carefully in some tissue paper and placed them in a small box.

" _I hate to eat and run, but I have to get back to work. Lunch was great. I'll see you boys later tonight after you get home._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Let's get going," Sebastian said as soon as they finished cleaning up from lunch.

"What's the hurry?"

"We have to get where we're going at a specific time."

"Are we coming back before we go out this evening?"

"No, but you look great." He kissed him and turned him to face the door and gave him a push forward. They hurried off to the Metro. Thirty minutes later, they arrived at their destination.

"That's a Frank Gehry building. I like it. I've seen it in photos, but it's really cool in person."

"Come on. We're going to see a movie."

"What movie are we going to?"

"The one that's starting now. Come on." He pulled him by the hand excitedly.

Sebastian bought their tickets and they went into the theater and Sebastian went all the way to the back in the corner.

"There are a lot of available seats that are better than these," Kurt looked around at the nearly empty theater.

"Nope. These are the best seats." Sebastian sat down and Kurt sat next to him. They waited for the movie to start. When the lights went down, Sebastian pushed the armrest up between the two of them and pulled Kurt closer.

"Why did you pick this movie?

"Shh. It's starting."

Kurt was thinking about how many strange movies he had watched with Sam while waiting for it to start. Kurt started to watch the movie. It didn't seem like something Sebastian would be interested in.

"Is that Russian? The subtitles are in... German?" Kurt asked perplexed, wondering how either of them was supposed to follow the plot.

"You asked me to pick something I wanted to do," Sebastian said and winked at him.

Kurt looked around the nearly empty theater again and it dawned on him. "You brought me here to make out in a movie theater?"

"Exactly."

"Great idea," he scooted closer and kissed Sebastian.

An hour and half later, they had no idea what the movie was actually about. They toured the museum area of the theater, which was quite interesting, and then left hand in hand.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian had a second destination in mind. He and Kurt set out walking toward Passerelle Simone-de-Beauvoir. Once they reached the edge of the Seine, Sebastian pointed out the building complex just across the river.

"That's the biggest library in France. The goal is to have a copy of every book ever printed in French. It has over 10 million books. Louis XIV's globes are on display too."

Sebastian continued to regale Kurt with detailed information about the library and its history on the walk across the bridge to the library itself.

Kurt loved to see that look of awe on Sebastian's face. He could tell how much he enjoyed spending time in this library.

"Thank you for bringing me here," Kurt said as they walked up the stairs to take a look over the edge at the wooded area in the center of the building. They spent longer in the library than they did in the movie theater and Kurt enjoyed every minute of seeing Sebastian in his element. His enthusiasm was contagious. Kurt decided that this had been one of his favorite stops on his trip so far. He got Sebastian to pose with him for a selfie outside the library before they headed back across the river to Bercy Park.

They strolled through the park on their way to where Mamie and Papi were picking them up to meet up with Kurt's grandparents in Charenton-le-Pont for dinner, music and dancing. It didn't take long to get to their destination and Amélie and Lucien were already there waiting for them. They all enjoyed the food, the music, and the dancing.

At the end of the evening, Charlotte and Èduard drove Kurt's grandparents back home and then came back and picked Kurt and Sebastian up to take them back to the apartment on their way home.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next morning, Kurt and Sebastian were surprised to be greeted by Lisette in the kitchen preparing breakfast for them.

" _Mom?_ "

" _I took the day off. I wanted to go with the two of you today. I hope that's okay._ "

" _Yes, of course. We'd love for you to come._ "

" _Well, the two of you were talking about going to Pompidou Center, but I'd like to hijack your day and take you some place else._ "

" _Alright. We'll go get dressed and be ready really soon._ "

Lisette took them to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Kurt loved seeing all of the period clothing, the brooches and the jewelry.

" _There are so many amazing pieces here. I have no idea where I would wear them, but some of them are just fantastic._ "

" _I thought you'd like it here,_ " Lisette said.

" _I definitely do._ "

Sebastian stayed close to Kurt and enjoyed watching Kurt get all excited about things he had no clue about. Kurt and his mom used words he had never heard to describe the necklines, waistlines, length, cut, and styles of things. Sebastian and Lisette spoke a few times when Kurt wandered away, talking about how they both thought that Kurt would eventually end up designing for productions in addition to or instead of performing.

They walked from there toward Musée de l'Orangerie, stopping along the way at a restaurant to have a late lunch. They enjoyed the collection of impressionist art at the museum. It contained paintings by several of the artists that Kurt and Sebastian had studied about in AP Art History. Kurt and Sebastian were both fans of impressionist artwork.

" _We'll have our own Sam Evans art gallery in the apartment. He's not had a place to display his stuff, but we'll have lots of empty walls to be filled. We just need to get his pieces framed and ready to hang._ " Kurt said as they were walking back to the Metro.

Lisette made dinner while Kurt and Sebastian worked on packing more of Sebastian's clothing into the last box and the first suitcase. During dinner they talked about the move and the upcoming school year. After dinner, they did their laundry and just sat around talking to Lisette while they packed more of Sebastian's stuff.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next morning, they double-checked each box they had packed to make sure they were taped well and addressed correctly. They had managed to get everything he wanted to ship into three of the largest Colissimo boxes. They carried them down to Lisette's car and took them to a drop off location and sent them on their way. The expected arrival would be the day they arrived in Connecticut. They returned to the apartment and Lisette left for work immediately.

They ate breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen. "I know we were going to stay home this morning, but I have a surprise for you."

"Okay."

"We need to head out to get there on time, but we need to pack our dance shoes and bring them with us because we're still going out dancing this afternoon." They took Sebastian's old, smaller backpack and headed off to the Metro.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

When they got off the Metro at Trocadéro, they were greeted by their grandparents.

" _Surprise,_ " Amélie said. " _Sebastian invited us last night when you were in the bathroom._ "

Hugs and kisses were given to both boys. " _Well, it's always good to see all of you. Where are we going?_ "

Charlotte spoke up, " _Sebastian told us of your love of sea creatures and none of us had actually been here before, so we've all come to go to the aquarium with you._ "

" _He's right. I do love to visit aquariums. Let's go_." They walked to Cinéaqua . The six of them enjoyed every minute of their visit. Their grandparents opted to stay in the area for a while after they left, but Kurt and Sebastian headed back to the Metro to go dancing.

They found a place to eat a quick, light lunch after they got off the Metro. Then, they made their way to the club. This club was different from the first place they had gone because it was purely dancing with no instruction. They just let go and immersed themselves in the joy of dancing together.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

On their walk back to the Metro, they decided to stop in a music shop and look around. Sebastian had his arms around Kurt's waist and had his chin propped on Kurt's shoulder looking at the CDs that Kurt was looking at. He heard his name from across the store. Both Sebastian and Kurt looked up. Kurt felt Sebastian tense instantaneously.

The young man approached them. " _I wondered if you'd ever show your face around here again._ " He lowered his voice to a dangerous tone when he got close.

" _Where'd you find the new twink? Did you tell him you won't put out? It's all your fault that Jacques is in jail._ "

Kurt moved to step out of Sebastian's embrace, but Sebastian held him close as he responded, " _Nothing about that day was my fault. Just leave us alone._ "

" _Did you bring him back from your, oh so convenient, 'study abroad year'? He probably doesn't even speak French does he?_ "

Kurt retorted, " _I speak French perfectly well, you jackass. Now, do as Sebastian said and leave us alone._ "

" _Ooh, a feisty one I see. Does he keep you in your place like Jacques did?_ "

" _Which part of 'leave us alone' was too hard for you to understand?_ " Kurt pulled out his phone. " _Walk away or I will call the police because you are harassing us. Everyone in this store has heard me ask you to leave us alone._ "

" _Fine, fine. Have it your way twink. But stay out of my music store from now on._ " And he walked out of the store.

" _Let's just go home,_ " Sebastian said. Kurt wrapped his arm around Sebastian's waist and they walked to the Metro station.

Sebastian didn't say anything on the ride or the walk from the Metro station to the apartment. They got inside and he walked directly to the bathroom. Kurt followed him and he could hear crying.

" _Bas, mon choix, please open the door._ "

Lisette came out of her room and looked at Kurt questioningly.

" _We ran into someone Sebastian knew. I don't know who it was, but he was very rude to both of us._ "

Kurt and Lisette could hear Sebastian say, " _Darcel_ ". Lisette's expression changed to immediate concern.

She whispered, " _Jacques' older brother_." Kurt nodded.

" _Bas, I won't pressure you to come out, but when you're ready to come out, I'll be in the bedroom._ " Lisette went back into the kitchen to make something for everyone to eat.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt heard the shower turn on. About ten minutes later, Sebastian came into the bedroom in a towel. Kurt grabbed his pajamas and left to go shower himself. When he came back, Sebastian was sitting on the bed looking like he was in serious need of a hug. Kurt put his clothes in the laundry and went and sat on the bed, not too close so Sebastian didn't feel pressured. He offered his hand and Sebastian took it. They sat there for a while in silence.

"The worst part about all of that was how much he looks like Jacques. The words he said were what I would expect to hear from him. But seeing him was jolting."

Kurt let go of Sebastian's hand and offered to hold him. Sebastian practically fell over and laid his head in Kurt's lap. Kurt ran one hand through Sebastian's hair slowly while using his other hand to gently stroke up and down Sebastian's arm. After a few minutes, Sebastian relaxed. Kurt started to sing to Sebastian, "Non, rien de rien. Non, je ne regrette rien...Car ma vie, car me joies aujourd'hui ça commence avec toi."

"Thank you."

"Always."

Sebastian sat up and kissed Kurt. "I'm sure dinner's done. Let's go eat."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Sebastian entered the living room.

" _Oh, good. I was just getting ready to come get you. Dinner's going to get cold if you don't eat soon. Plus, as you know, a surprise trip has been arranged for the two of you._ "

" _I didn't know it was just for us,_ " Kurt said.

" _Me neither,_ " Sebastian added. " _Where are we going?_ "

" _To visit Philipe._ "

" _So, we're going to London?_ " Sebastian's mood lightened immediately.

" _Exactly. Your bus leaves in two hours. When he heard that you were leaving to go back to the US before he was going to be back in France for the summer, he wanted to see you and he thought you might like to show Kurt around London._ "

" _I smell a rat, no make that rats,_ " he laughed. " _Mamie and Papi planned this, didn't they?_ "

" _You got it! They talked to him on the phone a few days ago. I guess the two of you hadn't talked since your 2-week trip to Yale was cancelled and you decided to go back to Connecticut for the rest of the summer instead of staying here._ "

" _No, I've talked to him. I guess it just never came up about when I was leaving._ "

" _Well, when he found out he was disappointed, so Mamie planned this trip for you. Eat up, and then go pack. Take your backpacks. You won't want to lug around suitcases._ "

Kurt was still in a daze.

" _Kurt._ " Sebastian nudged him. " _Earth to Kurt._ "

" _London?_ "

" _Yep. London. Don't you want to go?_ "

" _Of course. Definitely._ "

" _Well, then get a move on. Finish eating._ " Once they finished, they cleared their places at the table and rinsed their dishes.

Once, they were back in the bedroom, Kurt started looking through the closet. "I'm getting to go to London. Help me pick out what to pack," Kurt said excitedly.

"Well, wear the boots you got here. It rains a lot and you'll want dry feet and you didn't bring your Wellies to France. We won't be doing anything fancy. Just pick three pairs of pants and four shirts and pack them in your backpack. If you desperately need something else, I'm sure that London has clothing stores with clothes in your size," Sebastian teased him. "I'm sure I've seen at least one or two."

"Very funny."

"I try," Sebastian deadpanned.

They both packed quickly.

"Where are we staying when we get there?"

"That's a most excellent question, which I will go find out the answer to while you fold these clothes."

Kurt folded the clothes and left them on the bed. He went and grabbed his toiletries from the bathroom, put them into his travel bag and put the travel bag into the backpack. Sebastian grabbed what he needed from the bathroom as well before he came back into the room.

"Okay. So, Mamie booked us a hotel room for tomorrow night and Saturday night. Mom said that's why she said we needed backpacks because check in is several hours after we arrive tomorrow morning and about ten hours before we leave on Sunday evening. So, we'll be hauling around whatever we've packed for a lot of the time. I think we should reconsider and just take two pairs of pants and three shirts. Like I said, if we're desperate, we can always buy something." They each removed an outfit and decided to wear it since they were in their pajamas already. Kurt went and changed in the bathroom while Sebastian changed in the bedroom and they put their pajamas into the backpack.

"Do I need my passport or something?"

"No. Don't take your US passport. Just leave your French ID card in the pouch like it is. French citizens can travel all through Europe without a passport."

" _We're ready, Mom. We need our tickets and the hotel reservation information._ "

" _I just forwarded the hotel reservation email confirmation to you. Your tickets are on the table. You better head out. It's about a 30 minute Metro ride to the bus station. You can sleep on the bus, I hope. You'll arrive about 8:30 tomorrow morning. Mamie and Papi said they couldn't get any last-minute flights._ "

" _It's fine. We'll be fine. I'm just super excited. Let's get going to the Metro,_ " Kurt said excitedly.

" _See you Monday. Have fun you two._ " Lisette gave them both hugs goodbye.

They talked on the way to the Metro and then on the ride to the bus station. They boarded and did their best to sleep through the overnight ride.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt nudged Sebastian gently as they were pulling into the bus station. "Bas, mon choix, we're here." Sebastian moved his head around in a circle to stretch his neck.

"Not the best night sleep, but some coffee should fix that." They waited their turn to exit the bus.

Once they were out on the sidewalk, Kurt asked, "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" in his best Alice voice.

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."

"Let's get some coffee and breakfast. When and where are we meeting Philipe?"

"I'm supposed to text him when we arrive, but let's get in line to get coffee somewhere and I'll text him."

While they were in line, Sebastian texted Philipe. "Okay. He's meeting us a couple of blocks from here. We'll walk that way while we drink and eat whatever we get when we finally get to the front of this line."

"I should have taken out some cash at the bank yesterday, but I didn't know about this."

"Neither of us knew, but Mamie and Papi transferred money into my account for this. So, consider the whole trip their treat."

"They keep spoiling us."

"Well, they've always spoiled me and Philipe. Now they have a new grandson to spoil."

Kurt just laughed. "Well, I'd be silly to turn down doting grandparents wouldn't I?"

They walked and talked and Kurt tried not to gawk, but that was quite hard to do. They had finished eating and tossed their cups before they got to the arranged meeting point.

"I'm going to embarrass myself in front of Philipe if I can't get this completely awed tourist look off my face."

Sebastian turned Kurt and looked him straight in the eyes, "Your face is perfect. I enjoy seeing you get so excited about things. It's a lot of fun. Don't try to suppress it. Be yourself."

"Okay. You win, but if Philipe makes fun of me..."

Sebastian interrupted. "He won't. I promise."

Kurt saw a tall, slim teenager with shoulder-length, curly dark brown hair wearing slim dark wash jeans and a hoodie attempting to sneak up behind Sebastian and he put his index finger up to his mouth to quiet Kurt, but Kurt couldn't let him do it. Kurt glanced over Sebastian's shoulder just deliberately enough that Sebastian caught on. He pretended to be surprised quite convincingly.

"Philipe! Long time, no see."

"You're looking well. And happy. Happy is a good look on you."

Addressing Kurt. "I like you already. Anyone that can put that look on Sebastian the Sourpuss's face is okay in my book."

"Clearly spending the school year here has not improved your English enough, my dear cousin. I am Sebastian the Sagacious."

"You wish," said Philipe has he mock punched Sebastian in the bicep. Philipe was a mix of his mom and dad. He had paler skin than Robert, but it was still a beautiful olive color. He had golden brown eyes as well, just slightly lighter in color. His hair was definitely from his mom. He had curls that he seemed to have given up on taming, but he wore it long enough that he could put it in a ponytail to keep it under control if need be. He was the same height as Sebastian.

" _It's nice to meet you Philipe,_ " Kurt said in French as he extended his hand to offer a handshake. " _I've heard so many fun stories about the summer adventures you and Sebastian used to have together._ "

Philipe shook his hand. " _Now, where did you find a polite American that speaks French in that backwater hellhole you got sent to?_ " Looking Kurt up and down, he continued in English, "And he knows how to dress?"

"I'm an anomaly. Trust me," Kurt offered.

"Oh, I'm sure. I can imagine that being an 'anomaly' made your life 'interesting'."

"Only if you think that living with insufferable, irascibile, and intolerant people makes life interesting."

"And with incisive wit. Even better. I think I'll pass on the possibility of a Scrabble match. I'll just forfeit in advance."

"Don't be such a defeatist. Your English is very good. If you knew the meaning of the words I used, you're way ahead of pretty much everyone I know in Ohio." "I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment," he laughed.

"Good call," Kurt teased back.

"So, where are you taking us?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, you've come over here at the end of term and it's a bit of a spanner in the works because I've got classes until after lunch and I already agreed to revise with about five others in my year this afternoon. But I'm really glad you're here and I'm on it like a car bonnet." He started walking back toward the bus stop and Sebastian and Kurt followed him hand in hand. Maybe you two can go shopping or visit one of the museums nearby or you can hop on one of those red double-decker buses that drive all around here and go sightseeing. I'll ring you when I'm done revising. I'm seriously becoming a swot here. I should be done long before dinner time."

"That's fine," Kurt said.

"I hadn't planned anything for tomorrow. I had actually planned to take a full day's rest from the interminable revising that I've been doing. I have numerous exams and papers due over the next fortnight."

"Kurt and I had a couple of weeks like that in May. We completely understand."

"Stand there for a moment," he said as he pulled out his phone and stepped in front of them. "Look at my mobile and smile. I'm sending it to Mamie to prove that I found you two."

"Alright, then. Call us when you're done so we can meet back up."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"So, a museum or a double-decker bus tour of the city?"

"Definitely the bus tour. The weather is decent today and we should take advantage of that, right?"

"Yes, definitely."

"I take it that you've been here before. You don't look the least bit lost."

"I've been here before. Fashion week. School breaks with Mom. Philipe and I have come here before as well."

"Alright, then you get to keep your role as tour guide while I continue to play the wide-eyed American tourist," Kurt teased.

"There's a place I want to take you first. Then we'll take the tour bus, okay?"

"Sure. Do I get a guess as to what kind of place we're going to?" He leaned up and kissed Sebastian. "Is it a bookstore? Or a library?"

"Am I that predictable?"

"You're that adorable. You always get this bright-eyed look when whatever we're doing has something to do with books. I love that look." He kissed him again. "So, which is it? A bookstore or a library?"

"A bookstore."

"Excellent choice, my good Sir. Onwards, then shall we?" Kurt said.

Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist and Kurt slipped his arm underneath to put his arm around Sebastian's waist. They walked to the bus stop that would take them to the bookstore.

Twenty minutes later they arrived and went in. "A bookstore like this in Lima wouldn't last five minutes after opening before someone picketed it. Then the vandalism would start, followed by threatening phone calls. I wouldn't bet on it lasting a week before the owner gave up and left town."

"Well I, for one, am glad that not everywhere is like Lima," Sebastian said.

"This place is really cool. I may end up buying a book, shocking as that may be, or maybe I'll just make a Christmas list and take photos of all of the books I want."

"Well, there's absolutely no way I'm leaving without a book," Sebastian said as he started looking around for one in earnest.

An hour later, they both had a new book, make that three for Sebastian. They also had tickets to start their bus tour and a stop was just three blocks away.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They boarded the tour bus and they rode around to the stop was closest to their hotel, got off the bus, and checked in to secure their room and drop off their backpacks and laid their clothes out. They went right back out, got on the next tour bus and stayed on until they reached the point where they could change bus routes and tour the center of London. They hopped off and switched lines. They rode past Buckingham Palace, Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and a lot of other places on the two different buses.

Kurt wanted to get off the bus at the Tower of London. They grabbed a sandwich on their way to the Tower. After they got in, they walked around the grounds, took a guided tour and went to view the Crown Jewels. They had just finished watching a reenactment when Sebastian got a text from Philipe.

"Philipe says that he'll be done in an hour and he wants to meet us at the Tate after that. It's open late this evening and there's a huge special exhibit."

"Alright. Let's finish up here and head over there."

When they arrived at the Tate, Philipe was there and they got in line to go inside.

"So, what's the special exhibit?"

"Well, it's the Queen's Diamond Jubilee this year and the special exhibit is for that celebration. There are 60 Picasso paintings, plus a bunch of different other famous paintings on exhibit. Mamie said that Kurt fancies art as much as you do, so I thought you two would like to come here."

"I'm sure we'll love it," Kurt said.

And they did. They spent a few hours walking through the museum. They all made a pit stop before leaving, but since Kurt always waited for a stall, he came out after the other two and he overheard Sebastian and Philipe talking while they were waiting for him.

" _I'm so glad for you. You deserve this. I can see how happy you are now. It was so quick, I was concerned for you after what happened the last time, but I can see it in his eyes and the way he's so gentle with you. Mamie had told me and so had you, but seeing him with my own eyes - well, I think he's fantastic._ "

Sebastian moved towards Kurt once he saw him approaching. "You've gotten the Philipe seal of approval."

"That means a lot to me," Kurt said and he moved to hug Philipe. "Thanks."

They went to dinner and discussed their plans for the next day. Mamie had managed to get them tickets to see the exhibition at Buckingham Palace. They decided that they would meet a block away from the palace, walk over together, watch the Changing of the Guard and then go inside to the see exhibit. They'd decide on the rest of their plan the next day.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Sebastian took a bus back to their hotel. They showered and got in bed quickly. They were both tired from all the walking and their decidedly not great night of sleep on the bus.

They fell asleep and woke up with Kurt as the big spoon, barely moving during the night due to their complete exhaustion. Sebastian just lay completely still when he woke up.

"I love waking up in your arms," Sebastian said once he could tell that Kurt was waking up. Kurt kissed the back of his neck.

"Let's not get up yet," Kurt said. "We don't have to meet Philipe for two hours. We have time for more snuggling before we have to get up."

Sebastian turned over and opened his arms for Kurt to put his head on his chest. He pulled him close and wrapped his arms around him. "You're right," he said as he kissed Kurt on the top of the head. Kurt just lay there tracing patterns on Sebastian's chest. Sebastian smiled when he realized that Kurt was writing "Je t'aime", not just making random patterns.

"Maybe Philipe could come stay with us this summer, like in August. His classes don't start again until September you said. He could come and tour Yale, Harvard, and Brown, if he had been considering applying to any of those. He could even venture out farther and we could all spend a day or two in New York if he is considering schools there."

"Let's ask him about it. You don't think Sam would mind having Philipe stay with us?"

"Sam is seriously the nicest person ever. He would probably offer to sleep on the couch and give Philipe his bed if Philipe didn't want to share a bed with anyone."

"We'll invite him then."

"Let's get up and get dressed. We can walk around being all touristy before we meet Philipe and we can get some breakfast."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"We HAVE to go in here," Kurt said as he pulled Sebastian into Forbidden Planet. Sebastian caught up, but kept hold of Kurt's hand.

"What's in here that we just HAVE to see?"

"Look around. Sam would love this place. We have to get him something from here. I just don't know what to pick. I could buy like 500 things in here that he'd like."

They wandered around for a few minutes.

"I know," Kurt said enthusiastically. "Let's get something completely practical that he'll love. There are _Dr Who_ insulated stainless water bottles. He won't want to carry around his McKinley water bottle anymore and it's the only one he has."

"How about coasters? We could buy a set for the apartment. _Star Wars_ or _Star Trek_? Or _Dr Who?_ " Sebastian suggested.

"Ooh, look we can get _Harry Potter_ ones individually. I'm betting you're Ravenclaw."

"Good guess. And you're Gryffindor?" Kurt nodded.

"And Sam is Hufflepuff," Kurt added.

"So, let's get those three."

"Do you like any of those shows that you mentioned?"

"I do like _Dr Who_."

"Me too," Kurt said.

"Then it's settled. Let's get these and the water bottle and go."

They paid for the items and put them in Sebastian's backpack, which he grabbed on the way out, knowing that they'd end up doing some shopping.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"So, here we are. Buckingham Palace. Hand me your mobile and I'll take a photo of the two of you," Philipe said. Kurt handed him his phone.

"Now, the two of you and we'll send it to Mamie," Kurt said. "One more," as he moved to squish into a 3-person selfie. "I'll send them all to her." Kurt texted her.

"So, the changing of the guard is in about an hour. Let's go pick the spot you want to watch from."

"Thanks for putting up with my totally touristy ideas," Kurt said.

"It's fine," Philipe said. "The first time Sebastian and I came here, we watched too. I think most people do. It's something so unique to London that everyone wants to watch once." Sebastian pulled Kurt in close and followed Philipe. They found a spot Kurt liked. Sebastian stood between Kurt and Philipe, still holding onto Kurt.

Kurt brought up the idea of Philipe coming to Hartford. "We want to invite you to come stay with us in Hartford, if you're interested. I'm not sure where you're thinking of applying to schools, but if you want to stay with us and visit Yale, Harvard, Brown, schools in NY or anywhere on the East Coast, you're welcome to use our place as a home base while you visit places."

"Really?"

"Of course. We're going to be living in a 2-bedroom apartment, not on campus in a dorm. There will be plenty of room for you," Kurt answered.

Sebastian added, "School doesn't start again in France until September, so you could come any time in August. Kurt starts classes the first week in September and I start the last week of August."

"I'll be working quite a bit, but Sebastian could drive you on day trips to visit schools. And I get off Saturday at noon and don't work Sundays. So, we could go do something fun on a weekend.

"I'll talk to my mom and dad about it."

They continued talking until the ceremony started. Once it was finished, they went and got in line to go see the Diamond Jubilee Exhibit. The jewelry was phenomenal and all of them enjoyed seeing it, but Kurt most of all. When they finished viewing the exhibit, they walked a bit and found a place to sit to make their plan for the rest of the day.

"I know you only have this afternoon and evening free, so you should pick. We came over here so that you and Sebastian could spend some time together not so that you could play tour guide for me. Sebastian and I can do something else touristy tomorrow," Kurt said. "And if you want, the two of you can go do something together and I can go to a museum or something that you've both been to before."

"There's no need for that. I just want us to have fun together. Sebastian and I just hang out and do whatever comes to mind most of the time, but usually we were at Mamie's house. So, we'd just play games, watch movies, go out and horse around, listen to music, go out dancing once we got older, stuff like that."

"Sounds like me and Sam. No big plans. Just do whatever."

"So, how about we eat lunch and then we just wander around and find something to do?" Kurt asked.

"Perfect," Philipe said.

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That night when they were back at the hotel, they had both showered and were sitting on the bed when Kurt spoke quietly. "Would you be interested in getting in the jacuzzi with me? I've never been in one."

Sebastian looked nervous.

"It's okay if you don't want to, but I think I'm going to go try it out anyway." Kurt got up and went back into the bathroom and turned on the water to fill the tub. He found some products sitting on the edge of the jacuzzi. He chose the vanilla Dead Sea bath salts bottle and followed the directions. After the tub filled enough, he turned the water off and turned the jets on. The tub filled with bubbles. Kurt got undressed and climbed in.

A few minutes later, Sebastian came to the bathroom door and knocked.

"You can come in." Sebastian stepped in cautiously.

"I do want to get in with you."

"Come on then," Kurt said. "I'll close my eyes and you can get in and sit across from me if you want." He closed his eyes.

Sebastian got undressed and slipped into the jacuzzi and sat close enough to Kurt that he could reach out and take his hand.

"It's really relaxing in here. I hope I didn't get the water too hot for you."

"No. It's fine."

"Does being in here with me make you nervous? Or are you going to be able to relax? Making you more tense wasn't my plan."

"Both in a way. Things like this were just a figment of my vivid imagination for so long. I think it's just a combination of the fact that during my wild imaginings, I always told myself how crazy it was to think that way and I convinced myself to just let it go. So, being in here feels weird because I forced myself NOT to imagine you in situations like this, but now we're here and it's real."

"I see. And as much as I'd like to be seduced or to seduce you, we can just sit here and just relax together. And just so you know, you're free to let your imagination run wild from now on. And sometime in the future, we can act on your ideas or mine or both."

Sebastian laughed and leaned over and gently kissed Kurt on the temple.

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Sebastian and Kurt packed up their backpacks and headed out of the hotel in search of coffee and breakfast, which they found quickly.

"So, tonight we're meeting Philipe for dinner and spending the evening with him and then our bus leaves at 10:00. I think the only thing I still want to buy is a nice London souvenir t-shirt."

"Well, that ought to be easy enough. So, it seems that you've had your fill of museums for this weekend then?" Kurt nodded. "Then I have just the place. Let me look and see which bus we need to take." He took Kurt's hand and said, "This way." They waited a few minutes for a bus to come and they got on.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

Thirty minutes later, Sebastian and Kurt got off the bus and they walked a few blocks to Brick Lane Market.

"Oh, wow. It's fantastic! Let's go look around." Kurt pulled Sebastian into the crowd, never letting go of his hand.

They looked through lots of different booths. Sebastian stalled and Kurt stopped when they passed a booth with books in it. "Let's go in. I know you want to." Sebastian smiled and went in and looked through the books.

A booth down the aisle from the book tent was filled with all sorts of fabrics in an astonishing array of prints. Sebastian knew where they were headed and went in as soon as he got close enough.

Within a few minutes, Kurt had pieces of fabric in his hands. "How about this for the pillows in the bedroom? Or this for the living room? Or do you see something like better?"

"I like the one in your left hand for the bedroom. I really like the mix of colors. And I think it will look good with what we have already picked out. For the living room, I thought you were looking for something bolder since you wanted to get the gray couch."

"You're right. I do love this print, but I'm going to look for something else for the pillows. This print would make a nice shirt though. I'll keep hold of it until I decide."

After about ten more minutes, Kurt had unearthed a print that he and Sebastian both liked for the living room pillows. Kurt moved closer to Sebastian and leaned in very closely to ask if Sebastian had enough cash on him. Sebastian nodded. Kurt took all three pieces of fabric to an area that wasn't as crowded and opened them up to make sure there were no holes or damaged sections and to see how much there was of each. He found them all in good shape and moved to the line to pay for them. Sebastian pulled out the cash once they got to the front of the line. Kurt put the fabric into his backpack.

When they left the booth, Kurt pulled Sebastian away from the crowd and into a hug and spoke quietly. "Thank you. I wish we had known we were leaving Thursday night, I would have gone to the bank that afternoon."

Sebastian didn't let him go and just held him in the hug. "It's fine. My mom handed me the cash when I went to ask her where we were staying. It's from Mamie and Papi. It was supposed to be for meals, but I still have plenty because we paid using my card when we've eaten. So, we still have plenty of cash if you want to indulge in some of that delicious food we keep smelling when we're walking around." When he finished talking, he kissed Kurt gently and they went back out to look around the market more.

They stopped in lots of booths and looked around. Despite seeing a lot of things that they both really liked, the only other thing they end up buying was a London t-shirt in a nearby shop.

"Too bad I don't have a bag like Hermione instead of this backpack." Sebastian said. "I could have saved so much on shipping and we could take some of this stuff with us too."

"No kidding. I'd love one of those bags," Kurt said laughing. "I'd always have just the right thing to wear."

While they were eating lunch, Sebastian said, "I've changed my mind, if that's okay. There's someplace I'd really like to take you instead of shopping more."

"Sure. Lead on, oh Sebastian the Sagacious, I believe it was," he said laughing.

They left the market area walking in a different direction than they had come in and took a bus to Trafalgar Square. They walked around for a little while, then walked from there to the Palace of Westminster and viewed the outside of the building for a while and walked around the grounds. From there, they walked over to Westminster Abbey and, to Kurt's surprise, they met up with Philipe.

"I texted him from the bus and changed our itinerary. I know how much you love the old pipe organs and there's a concert a 5:45. So, we're going to look around and go inside, and then attend the concert and go eat dinner afterwards."

"Thank you. Both of you." Kurt was bouncing excitedly. "Let's go in, then." They looked around the inside of the church and found seats and waited for the concert to begin.

"I called my mom and dad," Philipe said quietly. "They're looking into arranging some campus visits and me staying with you sometime in August."

"That's great. I hope you can get everything worked out," Kurt said.

"I'd love that," Sebastian added.

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As they walked out of the cathedral after the concert, Kurt said, "That was absolutely magnificent. No recording can ever match how amazing those organs sound in person."

"I agree. I hadn't ever been here for one of the organ concerts and I'm glad we came," Philipe said.

"I hadn't either. It was beautiful. Let's figure out a place to eat dinner. We need to be at the bus station by 9:30, which is in a little over two hours."

"Why don't we take a bus to that area and then find a place nearby. I can just take a bus from there back out to my school."

They enjoyed their meal and made some tentative plans for things they could do if Philipe came to visit them in Hartford. Kurt and Philipe exchanged phone numbers and added each other on Facebook. After they finished eating, they wandered around the area near the bus station and continued talking. Eventually they said their goodbyes and hugged each other and Kurt and Sebastian boarded the bus heading back to Paris.

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By the time Kurt and Sebastian arrived at the apartment the next morning, Lisette had already left for work.

"How about I get the laundry ready and you make us something to eat?" Kurt suggested.

"Sounds reasonable."

Kurt came back far too quickly to be finished. "Your mom obviously did our laundry while we were gone." I sent her a text thanking her. That saves us a lot of time.

They ate, showered and redressed in clean clothes. Kurt and Sebastian began packing their suitcases. Once the clothes were in, Sebastian checked around the house to see if there was anything else he really wanted to take with him. With the addition of the new shoes, clothes and trench coats, Kurt's second suitcase and the empty space in his first suit case were full.

"It's a good thing that Mom is taking us to the airport in the morning. I don't think we could manage these in the Metro and on a bus."

"Plus, we have to leave at 3:30 in the morning. I wouldn't want to be on the Metro at 3:30 in the morning, even without the suitcases." Kurt sat down on the bed thinking. "Do you have a cable splitter?"

"For what?"

"So we can both listen to my iPod on the way back."

"No, but we can get one today. I need to make that DVD of your videos still. I'm going to go turn Mom's computer on. Can you come with me and log into your iCloud account so I can download them and burn them to a DVD for your grandparents?"

"Sure. They're still meeting us for lunch, so we can give it to them then," Kurt said as he logged into his account. Kurt stood up from the desk and let Sebastian download the videos and burn them to a DVD. Kurt looked through his phone at his to-do list for when they got back, then he turned it off, deciding that he wanted to focus on his last day in Paris, not on all the things he had to do still once they got back.

Kurt started massaging Sebastian's shoulders while standing there. "When I talked to Sam last, he still wanted to go to the art museum in Columbus. I hope that's okay with you. It was something I had planned to do with him during the two weeks I was going to be in Ohio before we left. He's picking us up tomorrow when we land at 10:00 and he and I were going to go straight to the museum for a few hours. I should have remembered to tell you sooner."

"That's fine. You know I like museums."

"I've decided there's one more thing I want to get when we go out today besides buying chocolates for everyone."

"What's that?"

"I want to get both of us a really soft fuzzy hoodie that says Paris on the front. Do you know a good place to get one? It's okay if it's somewhat pricey. I just want a really nice one to wear this winter at home. Every time I wear it, I'll be reminded of being here with you."

"I'm sure we can find one you like." He turned the computer off, got up and handed Kurt the DVD."

"So, should we head out? What time are we being picked up for lunch?"

"Pick up is at 1:00. So, we can head out and get the things you listed and be back by then."

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Their last meal with their grandparents was bittersweet. They got the waitress to take a group photo before their meals arrived. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves, but it was hard knowing that it was the end of their time in Paris. Kurt gave his grandparents the DVD. His grandparents gave him his mom's favorite book to take home with him. At the end of the meal, there were tears, hugs and kisses.

Charlotte and Èduard took Amélie and Lucien back home. Kurt and Sebastian took the Metro back to the apartment. Kurt did his best to hold back the tears, but a few still escaped occasionally. Once they were back in the apartment, Sebastian held him close and just let him cry it out.

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Kurt went to the bathroom to freshen up and when he came out, he saw that Lisette had come home from work early.

"I know you boys had lunch not that long ago, but I still need to take Kurt to the bank to settle up the payment for the brooches. And I'd like us all to go out for dessert somewhere. Is there anything else you need to do before you leave?"

Neither one of them could think of anything.

"Then, let's head out."

They went to the bank and then took a leisurely walk through Parc Monceau together on the way back. Kurt took some photos of Lisette and Sebastian together. And they got a passerby to take a few shots of the three of them. They went to Sebastian's favorite place for desserts and ordered several different desserts and split all of them three ways. They watched a movie together when they got back to the apartment. Afterwards, Kurt and Sebastian showered and finalized their packing and moved their suitcases to the living room near the door.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt sat down at Sebastian's desk and got out a piece of paper and wrote a short note on it and folded it and put it in the box with the bee brooch. He took the box and put it on the coffee table on top of Lisette's magazines, hoping that she wouldn't notice it until she was back home after dropping them off.

He climbed into bed and waited for Sebastian to come back from Lisette's room, where he had gone to talk to his mom one last time before they left.

When Sebastian came back and got in bed, Kurt could tell that he had been crying. Kurt scooted closer and snuggled up to Sebastian. No words were spoken, but Kurt's love could be felt and that's what Sebastian needed.

Their alarm at 3:00 came far too early for anyone's liking, but they got up and dressed quickly, putting their pajamas into their backpacks where they had stashed their Paris hoodies, in case they wanted to wear them on the plane if they got cold.

The ride to the airport was a solemn event. Kurt and Sebastian held hands in the backseat. Lisette pulled up to the drop off area and Kurt and Sebastian got out. Lisette pulled Kurt into a hug while Sebastian was unloading their suitcases.

" _Thank you for having me this summer. It was wonderful._ "

While she had him pulled close enough to speak directly into his ear she said, " _It was my pleasure, entirely. You are everything I had ever hoped that Sebastian would find in a partner._ "

She hugged Sebastian as well. " _Take care of each other. I'll see you after Fashion Week._ "

" _Bye, Mom._ "

" _Bye, Lisette._ "

They walked into the airport, checked their luggage and waited to board their flight.


	19. Chapter 19

Kurt and Sebastian collected their luggage after going through Customs. Kurt called Sam to let him know that they were there. Sebastian called Lisette to tell her they had arrived safely. They made their way out to where Sam had pulled up to wait for them outside. They pulled their suitcases up to the edge of the curb and Sam jumped out to open the back of the Navigator.

"They're ba-ack," Sam said in a sing-song high pitched voice as he approached the two of them.

"Not funny, Sam. That was a super creepy movie that I don't ever need reminded of."

"I'm sorry. I missed you." Sam pulled him into a hug.

"I missed you too."

When he let go of Kurt, he grabbed Sebastian and hugged him too. "Good to see you," Sam said.

"You too," Sebastian responded.

They loaded the suitcases into the back of the Navigator and climbed in to get out of the loading zone as quickly as possible.

"So, we're off to the Columbus Museum of Art."

"Yep. Then, we've decided to take a detour to the Ikea north of Columbus to actually check out their mattresses so we can choose in person. Then, we can order online and either pick them up on the way to the apartment or have them delivered on Thursday. Otherwise, it's the floor for us after a 10-hour car ride, which I'd prefer to avoid," Kurt said.

"Sounds reasonable to me," Sam said.

They all talked about the things they'd need to get done over the next couple of days to be ready to leave Thursday morning. It didn't take long to arrive at the museum. Kurt opened the back of the Navigator and opened his suitcase that had the chocolates stored in it and took his hoodie out of his backpack and put the chocolates in instead.

"Okay. I'm ready now."

"Good call. I had forgotten about those."

"Leaving them out here would turn them into a pile of goo. If we don't get inside soon, they may still turn into a pile of goo. It's so hot."

They hurried in. Sebastian paid for his admission ticket and they had to put the backpack in a locker. They enjoyed their visit and about three hours later, they were on their way to Ikea. They ate lunch once they got there and went to check out the mattresses and found what they liked and wrote it down. Kurt wanted to see the furniture that he liked in person before leaving and all of them ended up liking it. It was simple, functional and sturdy. They decided that they would definitely visit the Ikea in New Haven once they had the money to furnish the apartment. From there Sebastian took over the driving and drove straight to his dad's house.

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Surprisingly, his dad was in the front room when they arrived. He wanted to talk to Sebastian, who followed him to another room in the house. Sam and Kurt went up to Sebastian's room and started loading his boxes into the Navigator after enlarging the cargo area on one side by putting the second row seat down and sliding the suitcases up behind the driver's seat so they could get the boxes in the back more easily.

When they had finished loading everything, they went back inside. Kurt grabbed the backpack he had left in the front room and he and Sam sat down in chairs to wait for Sebastian to come back. In a few minutes, Sebastian came back and asked Kurt to follow him. Gloria came in as well and invited Sam to come to the kitchen where she had prepared a snack for all of them. Sam followed her and Kurt went with Sebastian.

Sebastian took Kurt's hand and led him down to his father's suite. He squeezed his hand reassuringly. "It's nothing bad, I promise," he said quietly.

Kurt and Sebastian knocked and were called into the main room. "Come in, boys."

"I'm Reid. I know we've talked on the phone, but I wanted to meet you in person, Kurt." He held out his hand. Kurt responded and shook his hand.

"It's nice to meet you."

"I'll send him back to the kitchen in a few minutes, Sebastian."

Sebastian nodded and left the room.

This was the first time that Kurt had actually seen Reid. He was taller than Sebastian, about 6'2". He had straight dark brown hair with just slight signs of gray starting to appear, cut in a very business-like short style. He had a darker complexion than Sebastian, a naturally tan look. He had an athletic build, like Sebastian, but more filled out. He was wearing dark gray dress slacks, a white button up shirt and tie, all in a conservative style.

"Please, have a seat. I want to talk to you for a few minutes."

"Yes, sir." Kurt sat in the chair across from Reid.

"I want to thank you."

Kurt looked confused.

"I know you don't know much of anything about me and my guess is that what you do know doesn't paint me in a very good light."

"Actually, Sebastian told me that you love him, that you've always provided for him and that you're a workaholic."

"Well, at least he knew that much, despite my behavior. For many years, Lisette asked me to get counseling. I refused, believing that I could handle my issues on my own, while not realizing just how deep into depression I had fallen. I won't go into details, although I'm sure you will eventually know them. When Sebastian came back last summer, he was broken."

Kurt nodded in understanding.

"Lisette insisted that he go to counseling. Plus, it had been recommended by the doctors in France that treated him in the hospital."

Kurt nodded again.

"So, despite the fact that I had very little belief that it would help, I sought out the most highly recommended person I could find. He went to all of his sessions. Honestly, I didn't see any difference. He wasn't making friends at school. He was sullen. He never brought anyone home. When he was here, he spent almost all of his time reading and sometimes swimming."

Reid paused and took a deep breath.

"Then you came along. He asked me for a ticket to take you to France to meet your grandparents as his graduation gift. That intrigued me. He told me about how you had forgiven him for some things he had done to you earlier in the year. Soon after that, he brought you home for the weekend. Then he went out with a group of kids from Dalton and you. He had more people over. I'm assuming the same ones he had gone out with."

"Yes, sir. Nick, Jeff, and Thad went to Dalton. Sam went to McKinley with me."

"When I was talking to Lisette before you had arrived in France, she told me what a difference there was in Sebastian since she had seen him at Christmas. She talked about how he had worked through all of his anger and depression and that he was happy again, actually happier than she had seen him in a long time."

Kurt smiled.

"I'm not sure why, but at that moment, I realized that maybe I had been wrong all along. Maybe talking to someone and getting counseling could actually be helpful. Maybe it's not all just a waste of time. I'm a busy man and I always felt like I didn't have time in my life to just sit around and talk about things and that talking wouldn't solve anything."

Kurt just listened.

"I made an appointment for myself with Sebastian's counselor. She diagnosed me with OCD and depression. I really didn't want to take any medication, but I agreed to try something to help with the OCD. I want to try the counseling itself for the depression. It really seemed to work for Sebastian and I'm hoping it works for me as well. The OCD can be helped some with counseling, but the medication is supposed to make a difference more quickly than just counseling alone."

"I don't want to sound condescending, but that was very brave of you. I don't meet a lot of adults who are willing to change their beliefs and try something new."

"I understand what you mean. So anyway, I wanted to thank you. Seeing Sebastian happy again was a big turning point for me."

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better, at least it seems like you must be feeling better. You talked to Sebastian and you're talking to me now."

"Yes, yes. I feel much better already. It's hard to explain how you can live your whole life not knowing that you feel awful. You just accept how things are at face value and don't realize that other people actually don't feel awful. But I can definitely say that at this point, I don't want to go back to how I felt before."

"I understand better than you might think."

Reid nodded.

"Well, I will let you go back to Sebastian. I'm really glad that he's found someone - that you've found each other. And I'm going to do my best to continue to get better. Maybe one day, Sebastian and I can at least be a part of each other's lives."

Reid stood, which in turn caused Kurt to stand. Reid walked to the door and Kurt followed. "Maybe sometime when you're in Ohio visiting, you and Sebastian can stop by for dinner. I'd like to get to know both of you."

"I'd like that," Kurt said as he walked out the door.

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He made his way back to the kitchen where he had left Sam. Sebastian was sitting at the island playing cards with Sam and snacking on the veggies and dip that Gloria had put out for them. He walked up behind Sebastian and wrapped his arms around him from behind. "I'm ready whenever you two are."

"I'm good," Sam said.

"Me too," Sebastian said as he put his hands over the tops of Kurt's. "We can take these card games with us, if you want. Gloria bought them for me. I didn't think to pack them before."

"Sure," Kurt said. "That way we'll have some of our own because I won't want to take any of the ones from the house since Finn will still be there and will want to use them."

Sam packed up the game they had been playing and Sebastian went over to the basket and grabbed the others and handed them to Kurt.

"I'm going to go tell my dad that we're leaving. I'll be right back."

Sam and Kurt waited for him to come back. Kurt handed all of the card games to Sam and picked up his backpack and opened it for Sam to put them in and the three of them headed out to the Navigator to drive to Lima.

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When they arrived at the Hummel's, Kurt had Sam got out and went inside and opened the garage door. Usually only Carole parked in the garage, but Kurt wanted to keep the nosey neighbors from watching the three of them load the Navigator with boxes. He pulled in and Sam closed the door back. Kurt was surprised to see a U-Haul in the garage as well.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that the U-Haul is already here. The guy who runs the place is going on vacation today through Thursday. He brought the U-Haul over here last night after dark. I guess the guy who owns the place is friends with your dad. Anyway, it's here already."

"Well, that will work out perfectly. I was trying to figure out how we could pick the beds up on the way to the apartment instead of having them delivered and making the apartment manager let them in to deliver them."

The three of them got the suitcases out of the car and took them up to Kurt's room.

The first thing Kurt did was to open both of his suitcases and remove the trench coats that he had gotten for Carole and his dad and the dresses that Sebastian had for Santana and Brittany and put them on hangers. "Can you take those downstairs and plug in the steamer for me, please?" Kurt asked Sam.

"Sure." He took the coats and dresses down to the basement and came back up a few minutes later.

While he was gone, Kurt managed to find all of the things that he had gotten for Sam and put them on the end of the bed.

When Sam came back in, Kurt had him open the bag that had the water bottle and the coasters in it. "That is awesome! Thank you."

He looked through the coasters and found the three _Harry Potter_ ones. "You're Ravenclaw," he said looking at Sebastian, who nodded in agreement.

"These will be great for the apartment. Are you a _Dr Who_ fan?"

Sebastian nodded again.

"Awesome."

"So, the story of the clothes," Kurt started and then told Sam all about their day at Vogue, how his brooch was going to be in one of the fall issues, and how he ended up making three more while he was there and selling them.

Sam looked through the clothes and actually tried the sandals on while Kurt was telling him everything. Kurt could tell that he liked them.

"These are really comfortable. Is that where the sandals you two are wearing came from? I've never seen you wear sandals."

"Well, mine did," Kurt said. "Sebastian already owned his."

"I brought home a whole summer wardrobe, courtesy of Lisette."

Sam laughed.

"What's so funny?" Sebastian asked.

"He already had so many clothes. Bringing home even more? You're going to need to put your bed in the closet and use the bedroom as the closet," Sam teased.

"Well, I think you'll be surprised to see that I own quite an assortment of clothing as well. We may very well end up sleeping in the closet."

Sam laughed even harder. "I can just see it. Your room is going to look like the men's department of Express or some fancy clothing store, while your bed is stuck in the walk-in closet."

"Speaking of bedrooms and closets, did the key for the apartment arrive?" Kurt asked.

"I haven't gone through your mail, but all of it's in the basket down by the door. I'll go get it." He took the clothes Kurt had brought for him to his room and the shoes he had on to his room on the way downstairs.

Sebastian pulled his hoodie out of his backpack, grabbed another pair of shorts, a couple of t-shirts and some underwear out of his suitcase and put the hoodie in. He took his suitcases back down to the garage to be ready to load. He went back up to Kurt's room and started to assemble the boxes that were leaning against the wall near the chair.

Kurt saw what Sebastian was doing and grabbed a few clothes for himself and put them with Sebastian's. He also realized that Sam's new backpack was still in his suitcase. He removed it and put it on the bed. He pulled out a couple of pairs of pajama pants from his dresser and put them on the stack as well.

"You can put everything from the dresser into boxes, if you want to get started on something. And thank you." Kurt gave him a quick kiss.

Sam came back with the mail and Kurt started opening all of it. "I'm going to carry my boxes down to the garage so we can start to load the U-Haul and the Navigator."

"Wait a sec, before you do that, we got you a new backpack too."

"Ooh, nice. It's bigger than my other one," he said opening it up. "A laptop sleeve inside and lots of pockets. Cool. Thanks you two!" He grabbed it and took it to his room.

When Kurt realized that several of the envelopes had gift cards in them, he pulled a notebook out of his desk drawer and began to make a list of the gift, the giver and the addresses to send the thank you cards to later. He found the envelope from the apartment complex and attached the key to his key ring. Once he had sorted everything, he took the basket back downstairs and tossed out the trash.

When he came back into his room, he asked Sebastian, "For dinner, how about Chinese? We'll cook tomorrow. I'm just too tired tonight."

"Chinese is fine," Sebastian answered.

Kurt called down from the top of the stairs. "Hey Sam, can you call in Chinese? Just order what I get for Sebastian too."

"Got it."

Kurt went back to his room to find that Sebastian had packed his whole dresser already.

"Well you're efficient," he walked over and kissed him again. "Thank you."

Sebastian smiled and pulled Kurt closer and just stood holding him.

Sam came back in the room. "Hey now, hugging without me? That's just not nice," Sam teased.

"Well, then get over here you big baby," Kurt sassed back. Sam moved over to them and Sebastian and Kurt sandwiched him in a hug.

"There. All better now?" Kurt teased.

"Definitely. Now let me loose, you two."

"Where's a marker so I can mark these boxes before I seal the tops and forget what's inside?"

Kurt pulled a marker out of his desk and handed it to Sebastian.

"Once those are marked, I'll carry them down to the garage as well. Sebastian can start carrying down whatever is in your closet that's ready to go."

"By then dinner should be here," Sam said.

Twenty minutes later, there were no packed boxes left upstairs and dinner had arrived. They sat at the table and ate and Sam brought them up-to-date on all things Lima.

"Well, I've been back two weeks and I haven't seen Rachel at all. Finn's been here some of the time. Puck doesn't know what's going on either. Carole was evasive when I asked. So, that's a complete mystery."

"That's weird. Maybe they both got jobs?"

"I have no idea."

"Well, we still have time to get Santana and Brittany to come over and pick up their dresses. I'm going to text and see if they're busy."

Sam and Sebastian loaded the plates in the dishwasher.

"They're on their way. They're going to watch a movie with us. I'm too tired to do anything else tonight. According to my internal clock it's like 2am already. I know we slept on the plane, but I'm still tired. I'm going to go steam their dresses and the coats. Sam, please find a few movies we can all watch. We'll let them pick which one when they get here."

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Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang. Sam let Santana and Brittany in. They went down to the family room.

"So, close your eyes, ladies," Sam said.

Sebastian was holding Santana's dress and Kurt had Brittany's. They moved in front of the girls.

"Okay. Open them," Kurt said.

"Oh, my God. Those are gorgeous."

"They're beautiful. Thank you, Sebastian," Brittany said while hugging him. "I love it."

"You are totally forgiven," Santana said to Sebastian.

"I really am sorry, Santana." She nodded.

"Do you want to try them on or watch a movie?" Kurt asked.

"We'll watch a movie and take the dresses home and give ourselves makeovers first."

Kurt took the dresses upstairs and hung them on the coat closet doorframe. When he came back downstairs, _13 Dresses_ was starting.

Sam shook his head, "Sorry, Santana vetoed all of my suggestions and put that one in herself."

Kurt nodded in understanding. He turned off the lights and sat on the couch next to Sebastian. Brittany and Santana were sitting in one armchair together. Sam was sitting in the other. It didn't take long for Sebastian to turn into the little spoon on the couch. Santana glanced over frequently noticing how Kurt was basically just petting him and occasionally placing soft kisses in his hair.

When the movie was over, Sebastian sat up, followed by Kurt, who said, "Well ladies, it's been a pleasure having you over this evening, but I have got to get some sleep. It's 4 in the morning according to my internal clock that is still on Paris time."

Kurt and Sebastian stood to walk the girls out. Sam had fallen asleep during the movie.

Brittany hugged Kurt and he handed her the dresses to carry. Santana stood there looking Sebastian straight in the eyes. "You're right, Porce. He's a keeper." She turned and opened the door and let Brittany walk through ahead of her.

Kurt turned the porch light on until they got in Santana's car and they were out of the driveway.

"Well, that's high praise indeed, it seems," Sebastian said.

"Most definitely. She's not one to hand out praise frequently. And she even refrained from calling me anything insulting or effeminate. A good night for certain."

"I'll go wake Sam up. You can go shower first," Sebastian said.

Kurt leaned up and kissed him and walked toward the stairs.

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Sebastian was sitting on the bed when Kurt came out of his bathroom.

"Your turn." He handed Sebastian some pajamas.

Kurt moved his suitcases under the window so they could get in bed.

When they were both in bed with the lights off, Sebastian slid closer and pulled Kurt into the little spoon and started talking. "Sam is truly an amazing person. It's not that I didn't believe you. It's just that you made him sound impossibly cool. But you're absolutely right, he's just incredibly nice and not the least bit bothered by the two of us together. I was genuinely concerned that even though he was completely accepting of us being gay, that he would be bothered by actually seeing the two of us together, but he isn't."

"I know. He's a one in a million. I'm glad that you two get along. I can't even tell you how happy that makes me."

Kurt turned over and pulled Sebastian close. "Thank you for giving him a chance."

"Thank you for sharing him with me."

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The next morning, everyone was awakened by the doorbell. Sam made it down to the door first and opened it to find Puck standing on the porch.

"Hey, Puck," Sam said, opening the door and letting him in.

Kurt and Sebastian had made it to the top of the stairs when Puck walked in.

"Why are you here so early?" Kurt asked as he walked into the living room.

"I wanted to see you while you were here. My sister's at a sleepover and I have to pick her up in an hour and then I promised to take her to the parade and fireworks in Columbus. So, it was now or never."

"That's fine. Come on into the dining room. We'll have breakfast. We needed to get up anyway."

Kurt looked through the fridge and pulled out a large container of yogurt. Sam pulled the granola and honey out of the cabinet and Sebastian was washing fruit and cutting it up.

Puck watched the three of them and laughed. "He fits right in."

Sebastian smiled and said, "Thank you."

Puck went in the kitchen and opened the freezer and pulled out a box of frozen waffles. He removed four from the box and put it back in the freezer. He put the first two in the toaster and pulled the butter out of the fridge and the syrup out of the cabinet.

He poured himself a glass of orange juice and once his waffles were all done, he sat down at the table with the other three.

"So, I got the most interesting call last night."

"Is that so?" Kurt asked.

"It is. Santana took time out of her incredibly busy schedule to call me and tell me that Sebastian is the real deal and that she's on your side."

"Well, I don't see any need to take sides, but I am glad that she has no ill will towards Sebastian anymore."

Puck nodded in agreement.

"Look, I wanted to thank you in person for getting me the job. Cassius has been really cool. I'm gonna go ahead and train up to become a mechanic. It's the type of thing that will be great for me. By the time my sister graduates, I'll be top-of-scale for starting pay and I'll be able to move away from here to wherever she wants to go. She can apply to college or just get a job doing whatever she wants. I can make as much being a mechanic as I could doing most things that people do with college degrees. And if she wants to go it on her own somewhere, I can either stay here or move wherever I want."

"Well, I'm glad you've found something you enjoy doing."

Sam got up and started a large pot of coffee.

"It looks like I'll get a place over in East Lima starting August 1st. It's a small 2-bedroom place."

"That's great." Kurt looked up at the non-existent mohawk. "I like the full head of hair that's growing in. I haven't seen you without the mohawk since like 6th grade.

"Yeah, I did it on my 13th birthday, right after my dad showed up and left again. But I'm not that scared kid anymore who needs to make himself feel tougher by scaring other people."

"I'm glad."

"Me too. It didn't work. Glee showed me that. You showed me that."

Sebastian got up and took his bowl to the kitchen. He poured cups of coffee for himself and for Kurt and took Kurt's to him.

Kurt took a sip. "Mmm, perfect," he said smiling at Sebastian.

Sam and Sebastian left Kurt with Puck and went upstairs to get ready. Puck got up and dumped his trash out and put the plate and glass in the dishwasher. Kurt got up to walk him to the door.

"Thanks for coming by. I'm glad things are looking up for you and your sister." Kurt stepped toward Puck and offered him a hug. Puck was surprised, but stepped into it and hugged him. "I accept your apology, Puck. I forgive you. Now, you just have to forgive yourself and keep moving forward."

"I know you're keeping everything to yourself, but I know that the three of you are moving somewhere together. I can tell. Take care of each other. Call me if you're in town visiting. I'll have you all over for dinner at my new place."

"Keep what you know to yourself okay? I'm not confirming or denying anything."

"Uh huh. See ya."

"Bye, Puck."

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Kurt went back upstairs and got dressed. When he came back out into his room, Sam and Sebastian were both waiting for him.

"Thanks for those clothes and these sandals. The clothes all fit and these sandals are actually really comfortable. I never thought I'd like sandals, but these are like half-sandal, half-shoes. The covered toes make them actually wearable."

"You're welcome. I decided I like mine too. I'd never worn sandals before either."

"So, our plan for today?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, we finish packing and we load everything up. Anything that can possibly be damaged by heat needs to go in the Navigator. I'd like to keep both back seats up if possible and keep it easy to see out the sides and the back. Neither of you are used to driving while pulling anything and you'll need to be able to see out." "How much more do you have to pack?" Sam asked.

"I just have some breakable stuff and a few other things, not much really."

"What about you?"

"I need to pack up the artwork I have."

"Do you need something special?"

"I could use one of those art tubes and some newspaper. Your dad quit having the paper delivered a while back since he's not here to read it most of the time, he switched to an online subscription to a few local newspapers that he can read while he's in DC."

"Well, I never did get the photos that are in frames in here copied to take with me. So, we'll head out to the strip mall where the art store and Office Max and Walmart are. You can go get whatever you need in the art store. I'll make copies of the photos and we'll meet in WalMart and buy a veggie tray and some burgers to grill later. Not as good as homemade, but faster. And we'll buy a copy of the Sunday paper from Columbus from the stands in front of WalMart. That ought to be big enough to wrap everything with."

Kurt drove and Sam let Sebastian ride shotgun. On the drive, Sam thought about breakfast for the next morning. "Let's grab egg salad from the deli and pack sandwiches for breakfast too."

"Good idea," Sebastian said. "How about some trail mix packages too?"

"And some bottles of juice?" Kurt added.

They got out and did their tasks quickly, bought all of the food and were back home a little over an hour and a half later. Kurt put the photos back into the frames and back onto his shelves while Sebastian put the food in the kitchen and then started helping Sam to wrap and box up his artwork.

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By 1:00, they were ready to eat and Sam fired up the gas grill on the back porch and took charge of grilling the burgers. Kurt made lemonade and Sebastian got the lettuce, tomatoes and onions ready. Kurt lightly toasted the buns. They decided to open all the curtains in the dining room to let the sun in and sit inside and enjoy an indoor picnic because it was so hot outside.

Sebastian pulled his phone out and checked the directions. "It's a pretty straight shot from here to there. And Kurt was right, it makes more sense to get the beds on the way there because we have to drive through New Haven to get to Hartford."

"And we're supposed to drop off the trailer by noon in Hartford on Friday," Sam added.

"Okay, then that settles it for sure. We need to leave by 6:00am tomorrow morning."

They finished eating quickly. Kurt toasted 12 slices of bread and Sebastian and Sam worked together make 6 sandwiches and pack them in ziplock bags. Sebastian had already put the juice in the fridge to chill.

"So, what do we have left to do?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, there's a lot of small things like my iron, my steamer, my toolbox, and I'm sure there are others."

"I'l finish packing my pottery and artwork myself and Sebastian can help you find all of your stuff that's floating around the house."

Kurt and Sebastian toured the whole house looking in each room for anything that needed to go with them. Sebastian took each item Kurt found and put it on or near the counter in the kitchen. In the end, they found quite a few things Kurt hadn't originally mentioned like his ironing board, his sewing machine and sewing kit, the Hummel vacuum cleaner, a decent broom, mop and dustpan, and Kurt's silicone baking mats and cupcake pans.

Looking in the linen closet Kurt said, "The blue and green towels are our personal towels. We can take all of those with us."

Sebastian looked at Kurt.

"Finn's are brown. He kept using all of the towels and leaving Sam with nothing to dry with. Carole bought us each a different color so that Finn couldn't snatch our towels just because he didn't take the time to wash his."

"I see."

"So, we can just get you some purple ones and we'll all be set. Kohl's put them on sale all the time. That's where Carole bought all of the ones we have."

Sebastian grabbed a box and went to the linen closet and pulled out all of the blue and green towels and washcloths and put them in a box. Kurt went in the kitchen and pulled out his Wicked mug and Sam's Lord of the Rings mug and placed them on the counter. He also pulled out his insulated stainless water bottle. He opened the cabinet back up and removed another one and placed it on the counter as well. He had bought a two-pack so Finn would have one too, but he never used his, so now it would be Sebastian's. He boxed everything up that was on the counter, except the water bottles, and marked the box "misc items" and carried it out to the garage.

Sam brought the boxes down to the garage that had his artwork in them. "So, we start with the breakable stuff into the Navigator. I'll put this box in. Let's sort the rest of these boxes." They sorted and put the fragile boxes into the Navigator. They also put the suitcases and the toolbox into the Navigator.

"There's way too much space in the U-Haul for now, but we'll need the space later for the beds. Let's try to evenly distribute the weight for now and keep them from sliding around. We'll have to restack them when we pick up the mattresses," Sebastian said.

The three of them worked together to load the remaining boxes into the U-Haul.

Kurt's phone pinged with a text message. He checked it to find a photo of Lisette wearing the brooch. He smiled and put his phone back in his pocket. "So, let's do one final sweep of the house and be sure we've got everything," Sam suggested.

Sebastian just sat at the counter while the other two looked through the house one last time. His phone pinged and he checked to see who had texted him. It was his dad. When the other two came back, he asked Kurt, "What's the address here?"

Kurt answered. Sebastian typed it into his phone.

"My dad wants to come pick me up for dinner." Sebastian sounded confused and unsure.

"Okay, when's he coming?"

"In 20 minutes. He must already be in Lima."

Kurt went to where Sebastian was sitting on the bar stool and put his arms around Sebastian's waist. Sebastian spun the stool and leaned into Kurt's chest and Kurt just ran his hands up and down Sebastian's back gently.

"It's okay. While you're gone, Sam and I will finish up."

"He wants to know if there are any places where we could talk and be inconspicuous."

"Why don't you just invite him to pick something up and bring it here. Sam and I will go out for dinner. That way you and your dad can talk completely privately. You can just text me when you're done and we'll come back."

"I'll see if he will do that."

A half-hour later, the doorbell rang and Kurt and Sam greeted Reid on their way out the door. He had Taco Casa bags in his hand. "That place is surprisingly decent," Sam said as he walked past Reid. Sebastian let his dad into the house.

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Sam jumped in the driver's seat. "So, tacos?"

"Sure, why not."

Sam went through the drive-thru and then drove to the only place in town that had a parking garage and pulled in to sit in the Navigator to eat in a reasonably cool, shaded spot. "Sorry about eating in the Nav. I know you don't like that. I saw neanderthal trucks in the parking lot. I'd rather clean the Nav than eat in a room full of jerks that will hassle us."

"Yeah, I saw Azimio's truck when we pulled in the lot. That's why I didn't say anything when you got in the drive-thru line."

"So, one more night in Lima and we're off to the big city. It will be an epic adventure."

"I'm kind of nervous, but I'm excited too. It all feels like a dream in a way. France was like that too, but one afternoon, it just finally hit me that it was real. I'm just so glad that you said 'yes' and that you're coming with me."

"You came back different, but not. I know that sounds weird. You came back being yourself all the time. You used to only be yourself when we were alone together. You'd let your guard down and relax. Since you've been back, you've been like that all the time. That's what made me know for sure that he's good for you. You're not hiding some part of yourself or trying to be something he wants you to be. You're just you and he loves you. I can tell."

Kurt's phone pinged with a text message from Sebastian.

"We can go back home."

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Kurt found Sebastian sitting in the chair in his room when they got back.

Kurt went and knelt in front of him and asked, "Hey, are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just a lot to think about."

"Well, let's shower early so I can wash everyone's clothes and towels before we go to bed. It's better to have everything clean when we get there since I'm not sure when the washer and dryer are scheduled to arrive. Sam's showering now too."

Kurt went and showered and put his pajamas on. Sebastian was still sitting in the chair just as he was before Kurt left the room. He walked back over to him. "Bas, mon choix, are you sure you're alright?"

"Actually, yeah. I'll be okay." He got up and kissed Kurt on his way to the bathroom to shower. While he was in the shower, Kurt slipped in and took his clothes and got started on the laundry.

Sebastian came downstairs later carrying all of the towels and washcloths from Kurt's bathroom with him.

"Just put those in the laundry room on the floor with Sam's. They can go in next."

A few minutes later, the washer ditty could be heard in the family room. Kurt went to switch the clothes to the dryer and put the towels in.

"Game? Movie? Neither?" Sam asked Sebastian.

"With my stuff and Sam's packed, there's mostly rom coms and action movies," Kurt said as he came back into the room.

"Rom com I suppose," Sebastian replied.

"How about umm... _IQ_? It's pretty funny."

"That's fine," Kurt said. He turned off the lights and sat on the couch.

Sebastian curled up into Kurt's lap and ended up being the little spoon again when Kurt stretched out. When the dryer buzzed, Sam got up and got the clothes out and tossed the towels in.

Kurt was waiting in the laundry room with a box when the dryer buzzed. He folded the towels and put them in the bottom and put the folded clothes on top and took it out to the U-Haul. He grabbed the trench coats and carried them up and laid them out neatly on his parents' bed and placed their box of chocolates next to them. He put Finn's larger box of chocolates on his pillow and then went to get in bed with Sebastian.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kurt could feel the tension in Sebastian's body as he attempted to slip into bed as the big spoon.

"Can I give you a message? You seem really tense. Or we can talk and then I can give you a message."

No response except a heavy sigh from Sebastian.

"Bas, I love you. I'm sorry if I was pushing you. It's okay if you don't want to talk. We can just go to sleep."

Sebastian turned over. "No, you're not pushing. You're being really sweet. I love you."

Kurt kissed him.

"So my dad came over."

"Yeah."

"And I feel sad, relieved and surprisingly positive about what he said."

Kurt reached up and stroked Sebastian's hair while he talked.

"It seems that my dad always had issues with hyperfocusing and that made him an excellent student and lawyer because he could remember all of the fine details of laws and how to prosecute and defend people, but he never considered that his 'eye for detail' was beyond the norm because he was never neglectful of the people in his life, just really detail oriented. A total perfectionist about his work, but not controlling of people."

"I get it. He actually told me that he had been diagnosed with OCD by your counselor when he wanted to talk to me when we went to get your boxes."

"Oh, okay. Well, he told me that as well and that he had started taking medication and that it's helping. It's the other part of what he told me that's just a lot to take in."

Kurt just waited and continued to caress Sebastian's hair, which he really seemed to enjoy.

"So, I found out that my dad and mom had wanted a large family. He moved into my grandfather's mansion expecting to fill it with kids. My mom got pregnant a second time when I was three and a half. The baby was a boy, but he was stillborn and my mom had complications and couldn't have any more kids."

"That's really sad."

"It is. My dad had followed the path that had been laid for him since birth. His grandfather was a Yale trained lawyer, so was his father and that was what was expected of him. He was expected to take over the family law firm that my grandfather had built from the ground up. The only part of his life that was his own choice was marrying my mom and wanting a big family. When his second son died and my mom couldn't have more kids, he became very depressed. My mom suggested that he seek help, but instead, he focused more on his work and he felt that he didn't need counseling."

"So, his OCD blossomed in his depression?"

"Pretty much. He said Mom tried her best and that she stayed with him for nearly two years while he pulled away more and more into his work. The mansion was empty. He feared for what would happen to me as I grew up in rural Ohio. He and my mom eventually just called it quits when he was more married to his work than to her. He loved her, but he was just too depressed I guess. They decided that she would be happier back in Paris with her family and that I would be better off growing up there anyway. He thought that he was doing the right thing, protecting me."

"And then you got hurt."

"And then I got hurt, yes. I came back here broken. It broke him even more. He said that he could hardly bear to look at me because he didn't know anything he could do to make it better because he had never found a way to get better other than to focus on his work. He didn't want me to stand out or be hurt more here, thus the unremarkable clothing and car. He made sure I had no roommate at school so I could work hard and focus. He bought the books I wanted to read to give me something to focus on. And he had me go to the counseling that my mom insisted on."

"He told me that seeing you get better inspired him to give it a try when he talked to me in his suite."

"Yeah. He said that when I started spending time with you and then Sam and the others that he saw a difference. Then he talked to Mom. He had already started seeing the counselor when we had that meeting on the phone and that's what he was talking to my mom about on the phone after he finished talking to us that night. He told her that she was right and that he was sorry. He said he's going to try to get better. He apologized to me as well. He told me that he loves me. He hugged me."

"Oh, Bas. That's amazing."

"It's surreal."

"Your wish came true."

"It did."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

At 5:30 the next morning, Kurt, Sam and Sebastian were dressed and had collected all of the products in the bathrooms, had done a final search of the house and were ready to attach the trailer to the Navigator. Kurt pulled the Navigator out and then backed it up to the hitch and 15 minutes later they were on the road nearing the highway. They stopped and filled up the gas tank and headed out on to SR 30. Sebastian took the first leg of the drive. He had the least driving experience of the three of them, so he took the least congested part of the drive. Sam took over not far from Akron and Kurt took the last leg which required maneuvering the Navigator through crowded interstate areas and through traffic in town.

They were approaching New Haven around 6:00, which gave them plenty of time to get the mattresses and get them loaded while it was still light outside.

"We're taking a slight detour. While Sam was driving I looked up some stuff on Ikea. They don't have mattress pads and the sheets and stuff we want is at Kohl's. I just want to grab that stuff quickly. Otherwise, we'll have to sleep with no covers. We didn't bring any blankets or anything with us."

Kurt turned off the highway and drove to the store. The three of them got out.

"Why don't you and Sam go look at the cookware? Get what you like. See if they have those plates we picked out in stock too. Take a cart. We also need a flatware set. Let's see if we can be out of here in 30 minutes," Kurt said optimistically.

They almost made it. They were in line 30 minutes later. Kurt used most of his gift cards and a coupon that came with his new Kohl's card for the bedding, plates and flatware. Sebastian paid for the cookware and his set of towels that Kurt grabbed in the linens department. They slid the boxes of dishes and bowls into the backseat and stuffed the rest of the bags into the U-Haul and headed straight for Ikea.

They decided to just eat dinner there since parking the Navigator in a restaurant parking lot would be hard. As they left the restaurant area, Sebastian took Kurt's hand and they walked toward the lighting area where Sam was looking at some really interesting lamps.

"We'll have to come back when we've got money to decorate. There's a lot of fun stuff here," Sam pointed to some of the lamps.

"Yeah, definitely."

They walked through the area that had stuff for bathrooms on the way to the mattresses.

"Stop," Kurt said abruptly and froze in place. "There's one very important thing that I totally did not have on my lists anywhere."

Sam looked at him.

"Shower curtains."

They all laughed. "Yeah, let's get those. I definitely want to shower tonight."

Kurt and Sebastian picked a gray, lavender, navy and aqua striped one and Sam picked one with completely random bright colored unusual geometric shapes on it. Kurt grabbed two liners and two packs of rings, and then they headed to the mattresses quickly.

Sebastian headed back out to the Navigator and pulled it up to the exit doors and opened the U-Haul trailer and rearranged the boxes while Kurt and Sam stood in line to pay. They loaded the mattresses quickly and headed on to Hartford.

Kurt had a hard time maneuvering through the apartment complex parking lot with it full of cars.

"This would have been easier to do while these people were at work or school," Kurt said.

Sam hopped out and helped guide Kurt into the spot in front of their apartment, then unhitched the trailer so Kurt could park the Navigator in the next spot. The three of them walked up to the apartment together and Kurt unlocked the door. He stepped aside and let the other two walk in ahead of him.

"Oh, wow. This doesn't look like the floor plan we saw at all, Kurt said as he flipped on the light switch next to the door, which illuminated a small area above the kitchen sink. Sam walked farther into the apartment.

"Um, Kurt?"

"Yes?"

"The living room is full of boxes."

"What?"

Sebastian and Kurt walked toward Sam to see the area that Sam was pointing to on the far end of the room.

"There's no overhead light in the living room. Can you go out to the Navigator and get the flashlight out of the glove box?"

Sam came back in and shined the light on the boxes."Oh, my God," Kurt exclaimed. "This is the stuff I had in my Ikea shopping cart."

"Seriously?" Sam asked. "How did it get here?"

"I don't know," Kurt responded.

Slowly reading off the stack of boxes, Kurt said, "There's, a sideboard for a TV, 5 bookcases, 3 desks, a kitchen table with 4 chairs, make that 7 chairs because there's 3 extra chairs, 2 dressers, 2 bed frames and lots of sofa boxes."

"Okay, so not everything from my cart is here. But the most important stuff from my cart is here."

"Who sent all of this?" Sam asked.

"No clue," Kurt said at the same time.

"Well, who knew about your shopping cart?" Sam asked.

"Let's see. The two of you, Carole, Dad," Kurt paused to think. "My grandparents, Sebastian's grandparents, and his mom and dad."

"So, everyone who would want to help you," Sam said.

"Yep, pretty much," Kurt responded.

"Let's let everyone know we're here." They texted their parents.

"This is just overwhelming. I want to pay whoever sent all of this back. This is what I was going to buy with the money from my new job. I didn't expect anyone to just send all of it." Kurt started to cry.

Sebastian and Sam both moved toward him. "Hey, don't cry because people sent us gifts," Sebastian said pulling him into a hug.

Sam put his hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"It's just that I'm not used to this."

"Let's go look around the apartment and then empty the Nav and the U-Haul," Sam said. "We can't put any of this furniture together in the dark and none of us knew there were only overhead lights in the kitchen and bathrooms."

Kurt and Sebastian followed Sam, who found a bathroom and turned the light on, which helped them see into the bedroom more easily.

"Oh, wow, these rooms are shaped really strangely. Our apartment is L-shaped because we're the corner unit." Sam said while looking out the window. He lowered and closed the blinds. "That will make arranging the furniture interesting."

They walked to the other side of the apartment and turned the other bathroom light on and Kurt lower and closed the blinds in the other bedroom.

"Well, let's get the beds and boxes inside before it gets any later," Sebastian said. "We can think about the mysterious furniture more later. Which bedroom do you want Sam?"

"Help me figure out which way is which."

"Um. That's way's north," Sebastian pointed.

"Okay, then, I'll take the bedroom on the left side of the apartment."

"Let's get the beds and boxes in then."

Two hours later, everything was inside.

"I think this apartment is bigger than the one we were looking at online."

"I think so too. At least the kitchen has more cabinets and there's a pantry."

"The washer and dryer go in here. And there's actually room to hang clothes to dry and iron in here. It's not just a flat closet. It's a walk-in closet."

The door to the apartment opened into the kitchen. It opened the left, which was the pantry cabinet. To the right, was a small coat closet and a small wall section. The kitchen counter ran all along the wall to the left of the doorway and then along the wall that was perpendicular.

When facing the kitchen area, the door to the outside was to the far left, then the pantry cabinet, a narrow section of countertop, the stove, more counter top, the corner area, then a narrow section of countertop, a double sink, more countertop, then the refrigerator. To the right of the refrigerator was a very short wall that separated the kitchen from the laundry closet, which had a door hung on a small diagonal wall. It basically had two equal sized walls with the door on a diagonal connected to two shorter walls.

The open layout of having no wall between the kitchen, dining and living room made the apartment feel really large.

When standing in the corner of the kitchen facing the living room and patio door, Sam had chosen the room to the left. The door to his room was at the end of the short wall to the laundry room. Kurt and Sebastian's room was to the right, and the door to their room was right past the short wall next to the coat closet.

Kurt came out of the laundry room and threw his arms around Sam's neck. "We made it out of Lima."

"We did. We really did."

He let go and moved to Sebastian and pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're here." And then spoke directly into his ear, "I love you."

Sebastian squeezed him and said, "Me too."

"So, bed linens." Kurt retrieved a few of the Kohl's bags. "For you, Sam, a green comforter and a set of sheets." Sam pulled the sheets out of the bag. "You got me rocket ship sheets? How cool are these! You are the most awesome person ever."

"So you say."

"So I know."

"And a mattress pad, and two pillows. Our stuff is in those bags." Kurt pointed over to a stack of boxes that he had put the bags on top of. Sebastian went and grabbed them and took them into their bedroom.

An hour later, they had managed to shower and put sheets on the mattresses that were on the floor. They decided that they would deal with everything else in the morning.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt was lying in the bed waiting for Sebastian when he came out of the bathroom.

"So, our own place? It's amazing. It happened. My dream of getting out of Lima came true and it's so much better than I had ever imagined. I have an awesome best friend and an amazing boyfriend here with me. I couldn't ask for anything better."

Sebastian leaned in and kissed Kurt and pulled him close. "I never even dared to let myself dream like this. It really is amazing."

Kurt sang, "You make my dreams come true, ooh ooh." and resumed the kissing.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Early the next morning, after their 15 minutes of snuggling, Kurt and Sebastian got dressed and came out of their room and went to wake up Sam, but he was already awake, just sitting on his bed.

"Oh, hey. You're up. I didn't want to wake you."

"Come on out here." Kurt said. "It's like Christmas. I was so tired last night that I think it didn't really sink in at the time."

Sebastian pulled the vertical blinds open on the patio door. "Hey, we have a patio with a railing around it. We could get a grill at some point."

Kurt and Sam moved to look out the patio door too. "I like that our bedrooms face this courtyard. It should be quieter than having them face the parking lot."

"And more private. People won't just be walking past our windows either."

"This layout is really different than I had planned for. If we stand in front of the corner cabinets in the kitchen, the apartment is like a 90 degree V shape. Drawing a line straight from the sink to the center of the patio door is the center line. The kitchen area isn't completely symmetrical, but the rest of the apartment is. There are definitely more cabinets and more counter space than I had anticipated. We can put the table on the imaginary hypotenuse that runs from the end of the kitchen walls."

"English Kurt, not math, please," Sam said.

"We'll put the table here, longways," Kurt stood where he thought the table should go.

"Got it," Sam said.

Kurt turned back around to face the stacks of boxes. "This is just unbelievable."

"Hey, I didn't notice last night because it was so dark in here, but my boxes from France are here too. Let's go sign the new lease and get the other two keys and our parking stickers. We need to drop off the U-Haul too."

They each grabbed a couple of packs of trail mix and ate them on their walk to the apartment office.

They were greeted with a cheerful "Good morning!" as they walked in the door.

"Good morning. We're here to sign our new lease and pick up the other keys and our parking stickers."

"You must be Mr. Hummel. We've spoken on the phone a couple of times."

"That's me," Kurt smiled and stepped forward to shake hands with the apartment manager, Freddie Thornton the sign on her desk said.

Sebastian and Sam introduced themselves and shook hands as well.

"I have the lease right here. If the three of you can just sign and date the bottom."

Kurt, Sam and Sebastian all signed.

"Here are the other two keys." Sam and Sebastian reached out to take one each and then put them on their key rings.

Sebastian spoke up, "Were you the one that opened the apartment to allow the boxes to be delivered?"

"Yes. Is there a problem? Mr. Hummel mentioned that some boxes might arrive before you did, so I let them in yesterday morning."

"Oh, no. No problem. I just wanted to thank you. That was really helpful," Sebastian replied.

"Oh, well, you're welcome. Here are your parking stickers. They're window clings and they need to go on the inside of the back window on the right hand side. There is one visitor's spot for each apartment. The visitor's spots are along the east edge of the parking lot and they're numbered to match your apartment. There are a limited number of extra visitors spots, but you'll need to get a temporary pass for your guest's car to use those spots. They're reserved for out-of-town guests usually."

"Thanks. My parents may come to visit at some point," Kurt said.

"There's one more thing." She picked up a package of picture hangers. "These are what we recommend for hanging things on the walls. They cause the least damage. If you use them, we will not charge for them. We just request that you leave them in when you move so that we can remove them without damaging the drywall. You can buy them at any major hardware retail store. If you use other methods of hanging things on the walls, you will be assessed a $10 per hole fee, and potentially more if there is significant damage, which will be deducted from your deposit when you move out."

Sam pulled out his phone and took a photo of the picture hanger package so they'd be sure to get the right ones. "Thank for telling us. We'll be sure to get those." "Here are your copies of the leases," the manager said, turning back from the photocopier. "And these are menus of local places that deliver to this complex."

Sam asked, "Thanks for those. Is there anything else that we need to do?"

"No. Unless you haven't been to the Post Office to change your addresses or to the DMV to license your cars or get new driver's licenses. Those are typically the three things people who move in from out of state need to do."

Sebastian's phone pinged with a text. "Oh, my car's here. But he can't get in the lot. That doesn't make sense. Anyway, he says to meet him at the school nearby?"

"Oh, turn out of the complex and go right. Then turn right on the first street you come to. The school is about a block down on the right hand side of the street."

"Thanks." He texted the driver back.

"Well, thank you for all of your help. We need to run down to the school to retrieve my car."

"Have a good day!"

"You too," Sam replied on their way out the door.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"I had no idea," Sebastian laughed.

"Me neither," Kurt said.

They pulled into the school parking lot and found themselves facing a tractor trailer with Sebastian's car being lowered from the upper tier.

"I thought someone was driving my car here."

"Yeah, I didn't imagine your car being brought here on a semi truck." Kurt parked and they all got out.

"Sebastian Smythe?"

"That's me," Sebastian said, reaching out to shake the man's hand.

"I need to see your driver's license please." Sebastian pulled it out to show him.

"Please sign here." Sebastian signed.

"Thank you for your business. Here's your keys. Have a great day," he said as he was hopping back into the cab of the truck and driving away.

"He must have a tight schedule to keep," Sam said.

"Well, then back to the apartment we go," Kurt said. "We have to take that U-Haul back still."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"I cannot possibly follow these directions," Sam said as tossed the directions onto the floor in front of him. He pulled out his phone and went to look for the password on the living room router. He connected to the wifi and looked on YouTube for a video. "Yes! This I can follow." Sam set off to assemble all five bookcases on his own while Kurt and Sebastian got busy on the kitchen table and chairs.

Kurt and Sebastian moved on to the dresser and the extra piece that Kurt had wanted for the top.

"I still can't believe someone ordered all of this stuff for us. I really want to pay whoever did this back. It's great that we can be comfortable from the beginning, but I wanted to do it on my own."

"But what if the person who did this for you really wanted to do it? How do you reconcile the two desires? Yours to do it on your own and theirs to gift you the items?"

"I don't know. I really don't."

"Could you let yourself accept that?"

"I could try."

Sebastian kissed him. "Good."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

A couple of hours later, Kurt said, "I think we should order some pizzas. We can see if one of those places has any specials and just order like four different kinds and save on delivery fees and eat pizza for the next two days while we assemble all of this stuff."

"Okay. Consider it done." and Sebastian got up to find the menus and ordered four large pizzas to be delivered, along with three salads. He came back a few minutes later. "45 minutes."

"Can you hold this part while I screw these sections together?"

Sebastian knelt and kissed him and said, "Absolutely."

"After we get this dresser together, let's go check on Sam."

"We'll do the beds after we eat. It will go faster with all three of us working on it."

There was a knock on the door. Sam answered the door. "Did someone order pizzas?" he called out.

"Yes," Sebastian said from their bedroom. "I'm coming."

Sam took the pizza boxes from the delivery guy, who left and came right back with the salads in a bag. By then, Sebastian was standing there and took the bag and gave the driver a tip. "Thanks!" he said as he shut the door.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Six hours later, the three of them had managed to get the beds together and put in the places they wanted them. Kurt and Sebastian's dresser was together, but Sam's wasn't. They still had the desks, the sideboard and the sofas left too.

"Well, I'm done for the night," Sam said.

"Me too," Kurt agreed. "The washer and dryer are coming tomorrow, right?"

"Yes. They gave a delivery window of 8-11am," Sebastian answered.

Kurt started planning. "Okay, so we'll eat pizza for breakfast, assemble more stuff and wait for the delivery guys. Once they leave, we'll go back to Ikea and buy some lamps and some no slip pads for our beds and those picture hangers somewhere. And we'll get some breakfast stuff and at least a huge veggie platter so we can eat something in addition to the pizza. Oh, and some laundry supplies so we can actually use the washing machine."

"And I think we overlooked something very important when we were at Kohl's," Sebastian stated.

"What's that?" Kurt asked.

"A coffee maker."

"A toaster," Sam added.

"I think we need to make a wish list," Kurt said.

"Once we find some paper, we can put it out here on the counter so we can add to it whenever we think of something."

"Let's work on the lists in the morning and go to bed now," Sam said as he yawned. "I'm too tired to think anymore tonight."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After he got out of the shower, Sebastian walked across the completely dark room very slowly and climbed into bed with Kurt.

"Mmm." Kurt scooted close and kissed him. Sebastian positioned himself lying on Kurt's chest. They were asleep before either of them asked any questions.


	20. Chapter 20

After a breakfast of cold pizza, the three of them worked together to get Sam's dresser assembled. Kurt opened the box of stuff from his desk and pulled out a notebook and a pencil and put them in the kitchen to start their wish list and the must-buy-today list. He added quite a few things to the lists.

The washer and dryer were delivered around 10:00 and the three of them headed out with the list. Sebastian drove while Kurt navigated from the passenger seat.

"That stacking kit is really cool. I didn't know the washer and dryer could be stacked like that," Sam said.

"Yeah, it leaves us room to hand clothes to dry and a place to put the vacuum cleaner, the ironing board and the drying racks, which I need to add to my must-buy list," Kurt said.

Sebastian spoke up, "Oh, hey, Sam. I don't think we told you, but you can drive my car too."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Kurt and I got policies that cover all three of us driving both cars. I just need to get keys made for both of you. Add that to the must-do list for today." Kurt added it as well as making a key for Sebastian to his list.

"Thanks, dude. That's really nice of you."

"Don't call him 'dude', either. You can 'dude' Finn. We are much more refined than 'dudes'," Kurt teased.

"What shall I call you then? Sir?" Sam teased, using his best Sean Connery accent.

Sebastian laughed. "I don't know. I'll think about it."

"How do you say 'dude' in French?"

"Mmm. Maybe 'mec' or 'mon gars', but I usually just call people by their names."

"I've heard Kurt call you 'Bas'. Is that your nickname?"

"He's the only one that's ever called me that." Kurt smiled when he heard that.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

About 20 minutes into the drive, Kurt said, "I've been searching for nearby stores. There's a Costco not that far from here. I've never been to one, but I've heard good things and the three of us eat a lot of vegetables and fruit and do a lot of cooking. I want to check it out. How about on the way back? That way we can eat something besides pizza sometime soon."

"I'd say let's go there now, but I saw more lamps in Ikea than I've ever seen anywhere and I'm super tired of it being dark in the apartment," Sam said.

They continued to add things to their must-buy list during the rest of the drive. They got two carts and made their way to the lamps as quickly as possible. Nine lamps later, they moved on through the rest of the store grabbing things here and there that were on their must-have list. The last thing they picked up was a coffee table for the living room.

While they were waiting in line, Kurt looked up the closest hardware store and mapped it out and then mapped out getting from there to Costco. "So, who wants to eat here again? Or do we want to look for some place else?" Sam asked while they were in line.

"Here's fine. It saves time and the effort of looking for some place else. I really just want to get the stuff we really need and get back home and put the rest of the furniture together," Sebastian said.

"That's fine with me," Kurt agreed.

Kurt took the cart out to the parking lot and loaded the Navigator while Sebastian and Sam ordered their food. Sebastian and Sam both knew him well enough to order for him and honestly he was hungry enough to eat whatever they ordered even if he didn't really care for it. What they ordered was good and they ate quickly and headed back out.

They split up in the hardware store and met back at the front with their designated items.

"What's the gray pool noodle for?" Sam asked Kurt.

"To keep the headboards on beds from banging into walls and damaging the drywall. It's a less than $2 preventative."

"Cool idea. And the 2x4 pieces?" Sam said

. "To keep the sofa from hitting the wall. Hopefully these," showing them a couple packages of square rubber furniture feet grips, "will keep the beds and the sofa from sliding around so much on the hardwood floor. And I got these sliders to put on the bottoms of all 7 chairs, making it easier for them to slide without damaging the floors."

Forty-five minutes later, they all looked quite surprised as they entered Costco. "I have never seen so much food in one place," Sam said.

"They have everything in here," Sebastian said. "Let's go look around. This looks like it has a lot of potential."

They wandered through the produce section of the store for a few minutes since that was the most important part to them and Kurt said, "Let's just go back to the front and join and buy the stuff we need here. It's like a one-stop shopping place and I like it a lot better than WalMart."

"Yeah, the food looks a lot nicer and the prices are good," Sam agreed.

"Yeah, I'm going to be doing a ton of driving as it is. I think we can buy everything we need in here and not have to make trips to other stores. It will be worth the membership fee," Sebastian added. They got in line at the service desk and read a flyer while standing in line. "$60 a year? That's only like $5 a month and it totally looks worth that." Sam said as he pulled out $20 and handed it to Kurt. Sebastian did the same. Kurt pulled out a $20 as well and they waited their turn. Ten minutes later, they had three membership cards and they were filling their cart full of food and all of the stuff that was on their must-buy list that they hadn't gotten in Ikea or the hardware store.

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The groceries had all been put away and they were sitting at their dining table munching on the veggie tray they splurged on. "So, back to furniture assembly," Sam said. "The sooner we get it done, the sooner we can start unpacking the boxes."

Working together made the rest of the pieces go more quickly. A few hours later they had all of the desks done. The second and third one went together quickly because they didn't have to stop to look at the directions every few minutes. The second one they put together was missing a couple of screws, but they had some extras from the other pieces they had put together.

"So, we just have the sideboard left and the piece for the top of it, the sofas and the coffee table."

They all worked together to get the sideboard and extra piece done quickly. While they were putting it together, Sebastian asked, "If no one's opposed, I'd like to put two of the bookcases in the living room. I don't think we can fit four bookcases in our room very easily."

"No objection from me," Sam said.

After the sideboard was done and where they wanted it, Sam got up and offered to help Sebastian move two of the bookcases into the living room.

Kurt had followed them to the bedroom, but stayed behind standing in the doorway looking into the room. "I think I'd prefer a different layout than what we've started with the bed there. Can we move it under the window? But before we do, let's attach the foam." Sam went to get the foam piece and a few minutes later, they moved the bed to the other side of the room. Sebastian went and got the rubber feet grips and they lifted each leg up and put them down on the grips.

"If we move the dresser there," he said pointing, "we'll be able to watch TV in bed, if we ever get a TV in here." Sam and Sebastian moved the dresser. "Perfect."

"So, the desks and bookcases. Bookcases, side by side, there. And the desks on this wall."

They all started moving the pieces around the room and got them into place.

"That makes the room feel more open," Sebastian said. "I like it."

The room was shaped very strangely due to the apartment being L-shaped. When entering the room, the door opened into the room, to the right. There was a long wall to the right, which had two doors on it. The first door opened into the walk-in closet. The second door opened into the bathroom. The doors were next to each other, leaving enough room that their 6-drawer wide dresser fit on the wall past the two doors. The wall that the door faced was where they put the two bookcases, near the end of the wall, not far from the dresser. The wall that faced the bathroom and closet was only slightly half as long and it had a large window, under which they put their bed. The fourth wall in the room was a diagonal wall that ran from the short wall alcove to about a foot from the door frame into the room. They put both of their desks on that wall. This layout gave them the maximum open floor space possible.

Kurt smiled. "Let's go get Sam's room set up."

They moved everything around and got Sam's bed set up to not slide and damage the wall as well.

"Looks great," Sam said.

Sam's room was a mirror image of Kurt and Sebastian's room. The door opened into the room, to the left. The closet and bathroom doors were on the wall to the left of the door. Sam opted to put his bed with the headboard against the wall past the bathroom door. On the right end of the wall the doorway face, Sam put his tall dresser. Sam didn't put any furniture in the alcove area of the short wall with the window. He planned to use that open area to paint and work on his artwork. On the strange diagonal wall in his room, he put his desk and his bookcase, with the bookcase being closer to the door.

"Now, the lamps," Kurt said. They each grabbed lamps and got them set up in the rooms.

"Hey, Kurt? Where do these go?" Sebastian called from their room.

"Oh, one on each side of the bed. Eventually we'll get some side tables if we need them." Sebastian put them on the floor and plugged them in. He came back in the living room and grabbed the two desk lamps they had chosen and put them on the desks.

Sam had chosen a standing lamp with multiple glass mini-lampshades so that he could direct the light in his room for art projects, which he placed in the corner next to his bed. He also got a desk lamp.

Kurt plugged in the floor lamps that he placed in the small corner areas of the living room, one on each side of the sliding patio door. "Now we'll be able to see in all of the rooms tonight," Kurt said. "So, the sofas and the coffee table are left. Let's do it," Sebastian said.

Sam was standing there looking at the pile of boxes.

"Let's do the coffee table first. I'm still psyching myself up for the sofa," Kurt said. "I realized after this morning after we had emptied the other boxes that it's actually just one big sofa and it's in 23 boxes."

"Right. Coffee table it is," Sam said. "Maybe there's YouTube video for the couch. That's what I used to assemble the bookcases," he offered hopefully.

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The living room area was basically a square with one open side that opened into the kitchen and dining area. The side walls were the diagonal walls in the bedrooms. The third wall had the patio door on it. They placed the large L-shaped couch so that one side ran parallel to the patio door and the other side was against the left wall when facing the patio. The coffee table was square and was placed so that people could put their feet up on it while sitting on the couch. They put the sideboard on the right wall, across from the part of the couch that was against the wall. The two bookcases were on the same wall, to the left of the sideboard.

"Well, this is a very cool couch and there's plenty of room for all of us, but boy was it a chore to put together," Sam said four hours later.

"So, maybe next week we can get a TV and have something to watch. We have Sebastian's French DVD player, but we'll need to get one to watch our movies on. Until then, if we want to watch a movie we'll have to use a laptop."

"I need to find a job," Sam said when thinking about buying a TV.

"You can start looking on Tuesday. Monday we have an appointment to register you for school. And we need to go get our new licenses and stuff. I work at 3:00, but we should be able to get those things done by then."

"You and Sebastian can work on emptying boxes while I'm at work. Tuesday you can drop me off and go looking for places that are hiring. The school is about six blocks away. If you can find a job near the school that would be perfect."

"I'm sure there's got to be something."

"Wednesday, we have more appointments in the morning."

"I can't remember if I told you or not - Sebastian and I are going to visit my dad in DC next weekend. He was pretty upset with me that I wasn't home to go on the trip with them this past week. We'll take Sebastian's car because it gets better gas mileage and you can drive the Navigator while we're gone. Maybe by then you will have found a job."

"How long are you guys going to be gone?"

"We'll leave when I get off on Saturday at noon and we'll be back Tuesday night."

"Boo."

"I know. I'm sorry to leave you alone for so long right after we get here."

"No, I understand. I just wanted to plan something fun for all of us for next weekend," Sam replied.

"Well, plan it for the following weekend and we'll do whatever it is," Sebastian offered.

"Deal," Sam said excitedly.

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They spent Sunday unpacking their boxes. It didn't take long for Sam, but Kurt and Sebastian were trying to fit a lot more stuff into a shared area. Sebastian decided to leave organizing his books to do while Kurt was at work. They ended up leaving the winter clothes, except the coats in the boxes for the time being. They came to the conclusion that their only option would to get underbed storage boxes for the winter clothes. Sam offered the extra space in his closet for Kurt and Sebastian to store their winter coats and suitcases. The coat closet in the apartment wasn't big enough to hold all of their coats. They definitely needed shoe racks for their closet. And laundry baskets. Somehow those had escaped from their shopping list.

Kurt checked his gift cards to see how much he had left on them. They finished up their wish lists and continued adding to their must-have list as Sunday went on. By Sunday at dinnertime, they had made a lot of progress and they'd spend the evening playing some games and doing laundry before they went to bed.

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When Sebastian came back in the room from showering, he found Kurt sitting in the bed staring at his phone.

"What's so interesting on your phone?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm thinking about writing a generic 'to whoever sent us furniture' email and offering to reimburse them for doing it and thanking them for thinking of us or something. I feel like I owe someone a thank you and I can't tell them."

Sebastian slid into the bed and gently took Kurt's phone out of his hand and placed it on the floor. He put their pillows against the headboard, sat back and made room for Kurt to sit in front of him and patted the space. Kurt moved and sat between his legs and leaned back onto Sebastian's chest. Sebastian took Kurt's hands in his and wrapped his arms around Kurt's chest, holding him close.

"While we have spent a lot of time together, I didn't realize that it would bother you to be gifted the items in your shopping cart. I thought you would find it exciting and fun for them to appear magically and be here when we moved in. I wanted our first weeks here to be full of fun and excitement, not full of stress while you worked yourself like crazy and lived in a box-filled apartment for a month while I sat around with nothing to do except lie in bed and read books. I'm the one who ordered everything, except the sofa. Our families wanted to do that for us. I didn't use my dad or mom's credit card to buy the furniture, so don't feel like you still somehow owe one of them. I know that I've told you that I tutored people in France and also at Dalton. I also worked the summer I was 16, which you knew. I guess what never came up is that I saved up all of that money. My parents always provided the things I needed, like clothes and school stuff. The money I spent this summer - that was mine. My parents didn't pay for the Moulin Rouge tickets or for us to go to Disneyland. I wanted to do those things with you. I wanted to buy the furniture for us, for our home. I just didn't realize that it would cause you stress."

"Oh, Bas, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to ruin the fun of it for you. You're so sweet. It really WAS cool to come in and find all of it here. I will work on letting go of my incessant need to do everything on my own. It won't come easy."

"I know. And I know that even as close as you and Sam are now that in the grand scheme of things that is new too. You really have very little experience with people having your best interest at heart and doing things for you just because they want to. I can't expect you to automatically change just because you have a whole group of people who are willing to do that now."

"I do have that now, don't I? It's amazing, but it hasn't really sunk in yet. No one ever talks about how hard it is to actually start to get what you've always wanted when you never really believed that you could have it. I know that probably sounds super screwed up. It seems like everyone would be happy to get what they've always wanted, but I think that's mostly true when they thought they deserved it or that they could actually achieve it somehow. When you see what you desperately want as something that you can never have, getting it feels so surreal that, if you accept it, you feel like somehow it will just be ripped away from you like a cruel joke."

"I do understand that feeling. The week before I texted you and asked you to meet me in the garden, I vacillated back and forth so many times. That's why it took nearly a week to get up the nerve to text you. I wanted to tell you how sorry I was, but I didn't honestly believe I deserved your forgiveness. I wanted you to be part of my life, but I had screwed things up so many times that I felt I could never have that. I finally decided that you deserved the truth and that I would give that to you even with the possibility that you would still despise me. When you forgave me that very night, I couldn't wrap my mind around that. At first, I thought maybe it was just a brush off, you know an 'I'll say that I forgive you so you'll leave me alone' situation. I felt like you might string me along just to get back at me by making me have to explain to my dad why he spent money on a plane ticket for someone who never showed up."

"I can see how you could have thought that."

He pulled Kurt as close as he could, hugging him tight. He rubbed his left thumb over the ring on Kurt's finger. "Sometimes we get what we didn't think we'd ever have and it is amazing. Being here with you is amazing. You are amazing." He started kissing the side of Kurt's neck.

"It is exciting and still a bit scary. I love you so much and having our own place here is better than I had imagined."

"You covered the apartment and electricity deposits. You bought the bed, the bedding, the lamps, the coffee table. I bought the other stuff. A relationship can never been exactly even. Someone will have cooked more meals, someone will have done more loads of clothes. It's just how things are."

"You're right. It's about working together, not about keeping score."

"So, can we put the furniture issue to rest?"

"Yes, but I think we should write our families thank you notes for the sofa. I still have my graduation and birthday thank you notes to write too. Another thing to add to our shopping list, thank you cards."

"We can do that."

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Monday morning, Kurt took Sam to the enrollment appointment. Sebastian offered to head back to Costco to get a few of the really important things the needed like kitchen towels and washcloths and the other things that had slipped their minds.

The enrollment meeting went really smoothly. Evaluations for Sam's learning differences were going to be scheduled before the beginning of the school year and based on those results, they would schedule meetings for an IEP to be created. He brought a DVD of his artwork to show the advisor, Mr. Donavan, who was very impressed with his work.

Sam was given the list of courses he could choose from, which were basically all electives, except he choose to have two periods in the resource center during which he was going to get help with reading strategies and study methods to help prepare him for the SATs and college. He chose Screenprinting, Drawing II, Painting II, Sculpture, Music Technology and Woodworking as his other courses.

"So Sam, you mentioned that you're looking for a job."

"Yes, sir," Sam replied.

"Do you enjoy working with kids?"

"Definitely. I have a younger sister and brother that I took care of a lot of the time when I was younger."

"Well, we run summer day camps at several of our elementary schools during the summer as enrichment programs. The camps started this past week. And we are still in need of an art camp counselor at the elementary school that's about a mile from here. It's one of the last remaining positions. The kids spent this past week just having extra indoor recess time during the portion of the day when they should have had art. The camp is open from 7am-6pm, but the art classes are only from noon-6pm. The kids are split into 1st- 2nd, 3rd-4th and 5th-6th grades and each group has the art option for two hours in the afternoon. The pay is minimum wage, 30 hours a week. Would you be interested in the position?"

Sam looked at Kurt like he couldn't believe this was happening. Kurt just smiled at him.

"Yes, definitely."

"Well, I will run a background check on you as soon as you fill out this form authorizing it. Then you need to fill out the application form, but it's just a formality. The pieces you've shown me on the DVD are really good. As long as we don't turn up anything on the background check, you can start tomorrow. You'll need to be at the school at 8am, just for tomorrow so that you can take a look at what's available to you to use and go through the training process. The goal is for the kids to have fun with art. It's a camp, not an art school."

"I understand. I can be there tomorrow at 8:00."

"Tomorrow morning will be your orientation due to your delayed start. The other camp counselors went to training in the evening week before last. What size t-shirt would you prefer?"

"Large," Sam answered.

Sam filled out the background check authorization quickly, while Kurt had started filling in the details on his job application form.

While they were busy doing the paperwork, Mr. Donovan left the room and returned a few minutes later. When he came back in, he handed Sam four bright pink camp t-shirts.

"Just from previous experience, I'd suggest you bring an extra one with you each day. The art counselors have been known to end up getting things dumped on them."

Sam laughed, "I bet."

"Will you still need to work during the school year?"

"Definitely."

"Well, then are you interested in the after-school art position at the same school? The after-school program runs from 3:00-6:00 each day after school. Again, the art program is just for fun and is optional. A lot of the kids are in the after-school program to prevent them from going home to empty homes, but there are also a lot who attend for the tutoring."

"That would actually be perfect. I was hoping to work around 15 hours a week and having it be so close by is amazing. I don't have my own car. My two roommates share theirs with me, but they are both driving to their college campuses each day for classes."

"Well, then I'll just photocopy your camp counselor application and put it in the after-school program applicants folder."

"Thank you, sir. This is just amazing. You have no idea," Sam said really enthusiastically.

"I can see by your reaction," Mr. Donovan said, smiling. "Be at the school at 8am. We should have the report back by lunch time. If not, you'll have to start on Wednesday afternoon. If something shows up though, we'll have to find someone else. In the morning, you won't have any student contact and you'll be paired with another counselor the whole time."

"I understand. I really appreciate all of this. I think this is probably the first time I have ever been excited to go to school."

"Well, with the difficulties you've faced over the years, I can understand that."

Mr. Donovan picked up a folder from his desk. "In this folder is all of the school's contact information, your class schedule, a map of the buildings, school policies, etc. If you have any questions, you know how to reach me. It's been a pleasure meeting the two of you. I'll stop by the camp tomorrow after I get the report to let you know the result."

"Thank you again," Sam said.

"My pleasure. Have a good morning."

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Kurt and Sam got in the Navigator and shut the doors before Sam let out a victory cry.

"Oh, my God, Sam. It's perfect!"

"It absolutely is."

"I have one question. When you worked for that place in Kentucky..."

"That was strictly off the books. No paper trail. Cash. Whatever I got in tips was what I got paid."

"Excellent."

"We should celebrate. We'll go out to lunch after we get everything at the DMV done."

Kurt, Sam and Sebastian met up at the DMV, waited in line, had their pictures taken, filled out paperwork, paid their fees and were ready to head out to lunch an hour and a half later. Kurt and Sam didn't say anything to Sebastian about Sam's job while they were there.

They found a Mexican place nearby. They were seated quickly and they ordered. While they waited for their food, they shared the good news.

"This lunch celebration is in honor of Sam because..."

"I got a job!"

"Already?" Sebastian asked shocked.

"The summer camp art leader moved out of town at the last minute and the camp started last week and they needed someone to fill her position. AND I get to keep the job for the after-school program all school year, 15 hours a week."

"That's awesome, Sam. Congratulations. Really, that's fantastic."

"I'm so excited. This will be so much better than anything else. It's a fixed schedule. That was one thing that was so hard about working at the diner. My hours were always random. I'd have to try to juggle my schoolwork schedule every week to fit around my work schedule. This will make it so much easier."

They continued to talk about what Sam had chosen for classes and other school related topics while they enjoyed their lunches.

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With the last turn of the screwdriver, both license plates were on. Kurt stood up and said, "Well, are official," and then asked, "What are people who live in Connecticut called anyway?"

Sebastian pulled out his phone and looked it up. "It says, 'Connecticuter, Connecticotian, Connecticutian, and Nutmegger."

"I think this is something to ask a local, not Google. None of those sound right to me," Sebastian said.

"I think I'll stick to saying 'I live in Connecticut'," Kurt said.

"Yeah, me too," Sam agreed.

"Well, I have to go change my clothes for work."

"I'll be back a little after 6:00," Kurt said to Sebastian, who grabbed him before he could leave the bedroom. He pushed the door shut with his foot, the pulled Kurt into a hug and kissed him soundly. "You are awesome and Sam is right when he says so. I'll see you when you get back."

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Kurt came back a little after 6:00. Sam and Sebastian had made him dinner.

"It's a celebratory dinner for your first day on your new job," Sam said as he came in the door.

"Thanks," he said as he moved to hug each of them. "You guys are really sweet."

"You're welcome," Sebastian replied.

"Did one of you call me at the shop about 4:00?"

Both of them shook their heads.

Sam said, "Honestly, now that I think about it, I don't even know the name of the shop. You said it's close by, but I don't recall you mentioning the name."

"Me neither," Sebastian added.

"Hmm. That's really weird. The only other person it could have been might be my dad. I'll call him after we eat."

They finished their dinner and Sam and Sebastian insisted that they do the dishes too since it was a special dinner for Kurt. While they were washing and drying the dishes, Kurt called Burt.

"Hey, Dad. Did you try to call me earlier this afternoon at the shop? Oh, okay. Yes, we're still coming on Saturday. I'll let you go then."

"Well, that is the weirdest thing ever. Who called me, if it wasn't one of you three?"

Neither one of the other two offered an answer.

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"Let's get Sam's paintings out and decide where to hang them," Kurt said.

They spent the evening having fun and moving paintings around the apartment and getting Sam's pottery pieces out and displaying them on the top shelf of the bookcases and on the sideboard in the living room.

"We need to go to the fabric or craft store sometime this week to get wire so we can actually hang them," Sam said.

"I can do that tomorrow while you two are at work."

"Thanks," Sam said.

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Kurt and Sebastian got up and saw Sam off to his first day of work.

Sam left at 7:30 to walk to the school, carrying his extra shirt and a shelf-stable lunch in a bread wrapper in his new backpack. He'd need to go shopping for a lunch box because the empty bread bag was not going to work long term. He went through the orientation and was given a tour of the camp. He spent some time in the art room looking through what was available to him. He found out that he could request additional supplies from a pre-approved list as long as the cost stayed within the allotted budget.

Around 11:00, Mr. Donovan showed up at the school with a clean background check and Sam was set to stay for the afternoon. He used the hour he had left to eat his lunch in the art room and come up with three ideas for the afternoon.

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Back at the apartment, Kurt and Sebastian went back to bed after Sam left.

"I hate having to leave you all day," Kurt said.

"I know. I missed you a lot yesterday afternoon. We've spent so much time together over the last six weeks, that it feels really weird when you're not right near me to share something with or to reach over and kiss," which he did just then. "Yesterday wasn't so bad because Sam was still here and we worked on your dinner together. Today will be harder."

"That's why you offered to go shopping last night. Just to have something to do."

"Pretty much. I'll get used to it again. I'll have to. We both will."

"Scoot closer." Sebastian moved to be as close as he could. "We'll just have to make the best of the time we are together. We'll get the hang of it. We're strong." They just held each other tight.

"You're right, of course. We've just gotten spoiled."

After an hour of snuggling and kissing, they decided they needed to get up and face the day. But light touches and kisses went on for the whole next hour before Kurt had to leave for work at 9:30.

Sebastian saw him out and hugged and kissed him one last time.

"I'll be back at the same time as yesterday. I love you."

"I love you too."

Sebastian closed the door. He got the directions to the closest Michael's and JoAnn's. He chose Michael's and headed out. He spent far too long looking through the store just because he didn't really want to be home alone. He eventually picked up the wire and eye screws and a really nice easel for Sam

. He went back home and assembled the easel and put it in Sam's room in the alcove with the window. He placed the hanging supplies on Sam's desk. He spent the rest of the afternoon sorting and placing his books on the bookshelves. He collected up all of the empty boxes that they had flattened and stacked on the coffee table and took them out to the recycling bin. He searched several websites for underbed storage boxes and picked a few to show Kurt when he got home. He prepared dinner for everyone and had it on the table to eat at 6:20 and within a few minutes, both Kurt and Sam walked into the apartment.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Sam said.

"This looks great," Kurt added.

They enjoyed their dinner. Sebastian stayed in the kitchen and talked to them both while they washed and dried the dishes.

"Tomorrow after our appointments, when we run errands I need to get a lunch box and some ice packs. The counselors don't have a refrigerator to use."

"We should probably all get them. I'm not going to want to spend a fortune eating lunch out every day on campus," Kurt said. "$6 doesn't seem like a lot until you do it 20 times a month."

"I've never packed a lunch, but I'm willing to give it a shot. We can go back out to Costco after the appointments."

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They moved into the living room after cleaning up. Kurt noticed that the boxes were gone. "Wow, you got all your books organized and you got rid of all of the boxes. It looks really nice in here now."

"Thanks," Sebastian said.

Sam went to his room to get the eyehooks and the wire for the paintings and put them all on while Kurt and Sebastian worked together to measure carefully on where to insert the picture hangers that they had bought. A while later, the paintings had the wires on and they were hanging around the apartment.

"Now all they need is frames," Sam said. "That's why I signed up for woodworking at school. I figured that if I'm going to paint, I need to learn to make my own frames. When I priced out framing one of my paintings once, I about fell over when the associate told me that it would be over $100 for the frame I liked. For one that I didn't really care for, it will still like $80. I know I can make them for a lot less."

Kurt said, "You could paint all of the edges of the canvases dark gray for now and then they'd look uniform until you can get the frames made."

"That's not a bad idea. I'll work on it since I have an easel now," Sam nudged Sebastian. "Somehow a really nice one magically appeared in my room while I as at camp today."

"Must be an easel fairy bringing new easels to all the painters that have been good boys this past year."

"Uh huh," Sam laughed.

"I figured that Kurt can sew you a travel bag for it once he starts working on his sewing projects. Then you'll be able to take it out anywhere and paint outside if you want."

"I can do that," Kurt said.

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The next morning Kurt was still snuggled into the little spoon position that he had fallen asleep in. He awoke first, but lay still giving Sebastian more time to sleep. Kurt thought through all of the things on his to-do list for the day. Knowing he had to get up soon, Kurt turned over and kissed Sebastian.

"Well, good morning to you," Sebastian said groggily. "That's got to be my favorite way to be awakened," he said and returned to kissing Kurt.

"Good morning, mon choix. It's snuggle time. I have to get up soon."

Sebastian scooted closer and repositioned them so he was lying on Kurt's chest. "When does your shift start?"

"Noon. I work noon-6:00 today, but I have to take Sam to his appointment at 8:00."

Sebastian rolled over to pick up his phone. "Which one of these types of underbed storage containers do you like? I want to go out and get some today so we can get the rest of the clothes unpacked."

Kurt looked through the different ones and chose.

"While you're gone today, I'm going to work on steaming our clothes and getting them organized in the closet. I know we got them hung up a few days ago, but they got pretty wrinkled in the boxes. I know we need to pack for the weekend soon too. So, I'll do our laundry."

"You're so sweet to me. Thank you."

"Hey," he slid back a bit so he could look Kurt in the eyes, "It's not a big deal to do what needs done, you know. You're working hard. I'm not allergic to work or anything." Kurt laughed.

"I know you're not. I know you've had a job before. If you have too much time on your hands once we get everything done around here, you can always go see if there are any bookstores or music stores hiring."

"I've thought about it. But I really think that my course load will be enough to keep me busy with spending two hours a day commuting."

"I won't be driving that much, but I'll be driving about 40-50 minutes a day. But at least my job is nearby and not on the other side of town or even farther away from school. And if we keep ourselves on task during the daytime, we should have time together in the evenings."

"Mmm hmm," Sebastian snuggled back into Kurt's side.

"Come on, up and at 'em," Kurt said as he nudged Sebastian.

"Okay, I'm getting up. Let's get ready and eat breakfast." Sebastian kissed him once more and got out of bed.

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"Hey, guys," Sam said as the two of them entered the kitchen where he was already eating breakfast.

Kurt and Sebastian made themselves quick breakfasts and sat down with him and finalized their morning plans before they headed out to Sam's appointments, which were to set up his health insurance and get the physical he had to have for school.

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Right before 10:00, Kurt and Sam pulled up and Sebastian hopped into the Navigator and they headed off for Costco. Sebastian had made a preliminary lunch and dinner menu along with a shopping list and showed it to them.

"I'm open to suggestions, if you two want to make changes."

"No, actually this looks fine to me for the rest of this week. We can sit down maybe tomorrow night and we can all work on a menu and a cooking schedule," Kurt said as he looked through it quickly at a red light and then handed it to Sam.

"I know that right now, Sebastian is home, but once school starts, we need to set up a rotation for who cooks. We all like to cook, so we could try out new things together on Saturday evenings?" Sam offered.

"That could be fun," Kurt said.

They grabbed all of the items on Sebastian's list and then they went looking for the lunch bags. They found some cool neoprene ones with interesting designs on them.

"I'm going to get this crazy one with the colorful birds on it," Sam said. Kurt picked one that looked like it was covered in scales and Sebastian found a nice dark purple print.

"I like that someone designed fun colorful lunch boxes for adults," Kurt said. "All of these are so much more fun than solid black or blue. There are reusable zippered storage bags that came in 3-packs in matching prints. They are kind of expensive, but I bet they'd save money because we wouldn't be buying a bunch of ziplock bags," he said as he looked at them.

"They can go in the dishwasher," Sebastian said. "That's cool. We need to grab some dishwasher detergent because we didn't get any the last time we were here."

Sam looked at them closely. "Let's give them a shot," he said grabbing the reusable food bags that matched what they had already picked out and tossed them into the cart. "We have water bottles already. Ice packs?" he said looking around for them.

"These flat ones are kind of cool," Sebastian said from the next section down. Kurt and Sam moved closer to look.

Kurt picked up a 3-pack and stuck it in the cart. "The other thing that isn't food that's on the list is some storage containers. I bet they sell those here somewhere." Kurt looked around and found an employee and got directions to where to find them. They picked up box with assorted sizes that was on sale, grabbed some dishwasher soap and headed for the check out.

When they got back to the apartment, Sam went in and packed a lunch quickly for both himself and Kurt. Kurt told him to jump in the truck and he'd be right out and drive him to the school on his way to work. Kurt stayed behind just long enough to give Sebastian and hug and kiss and then went back out.

Sebastian set out to go get the storage boxes and some other things. He got a text from Philipe confirming that he would be coming to visit. He called him after getting the text. Talking to him brightened Sebastian's afternoon.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt had just finished up a radiator leak job when he was paged up to the front customer service area, which was odd because he didn't do customer service and it was almost closing time anyway, so they wouldn't be taking any walk-ins at that point. The shift manager passed him coming back into the service area as he walked toward the customer service area. He walked in through the door and froze.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to fix what went wrong, of course. I went to see a therapist like you suggested. I'm following the advice I got."

"Your therapist told you to stalk me and follow me 700 miles when I specifically designed my plan so that no one would know where I was?"

Kurt pulled out his phone and sent a text to Sebastian telling him to go get Sam and to get to the shop as soon as possible, giving Sebastian the address.

"Never mind. Don't answer that right now. I don't have time to talk right now. The shop closes in five minutes. I'll be ready to leave in 15. Just sit down in the waiting area. Never mind, go sit and wait in your car because these doors have to be locked and you can't be inside after closing."

"Um, okay. I'll be outside waiting then."

Kurt locked the door behind Blaine after he left. He was in shock. He went back through to the service area and found his manager.

"Hey, Joe?"

"Yeah."

"Is there a security camera in the customer service area?"

"Sure."

"What about the parking lot?"

"Yep, there too."

"I need you to keep the feed from today for both areas, please."

"What's going on?"

"The guy who asked for me, the one waiting in the lobby when you paged me, he's my ex. No one where I moved from knew I was coming here, except my family and my roommates' families. None of them would have told him where I am."

"Okay. That's creepy and stalkerish."

"Exactly. I don't know what's going on, but in case I want to file something later, I'll want that security feed."

"Got it. I may want to use it too, if he comes back and doesn't get any work done on his car, I can call the police for loitering or something."

"I'm really sorry. I was super careful and I honestly thought this was over ages ago. I haven't even talked to him in like two and a half months. I've got to head out. My roommates are on their way here to help me get rid of him. I'll see you tomorrow at noon."

"Good luck."

"Thanks, I'll need it"

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt's phone was vibrating the whole time he was talking to his manager. Once he got back to the employee changing area, he pulled the phone out and answered.

"Kurt, what is going on? We're almost there," Sam said really upset.

"Blaine is here."

"What?" Sam yelled.

Kurt heard him repeat the information to Sebastian, who started swearing in French.

"Well, I take it that when Sebastian is upset, only you will know what he's saying," Sam laughed. "We're just down the street now."

"Sam, get down in the seat. I don't want him to see that you're here. I have a plan. I'm going out the back employee entrance. Get Sebastian to park on the customer side of the building and then have him walk around here and meet me. Get in the backseat and lie down while he's walking around here."

Kurt waited a couple of minutes and opened the door. He was carrying his coveralls and lunch bag. Sebastian was walking around the building as he came out the door. Kurt walked to the Navigator and put his stuff in the back.

Blaine got out of his car. "Kurt, I wanted to talk to you alone. Why is Sebastian here?"

"We're going to go somewhere and talk. Just get in your car and follow me."

Kurt walked back to his truck and got in and drove Sebastian back around to the other side of the building to get in his car.

Kurt called Sam as soon as he got in the Navigator and put it on speaker. "What am I going to do?" Kurt asked. "I thought this was over. He's left me alone for two and a half months and now he just shows up where I work. How did he find me?"

"Did he track you using his phone, like the Find my Friends app? You, me and Finn used to use that all the time because Finn is so terrible with directions. I'd just tell him to ping me and drive to where he could see that I was."

"I blocked Blaine's number and deleted him from my contacts list. He can't be tracking me through that app."

"Open your contacts. See who can track your location. Open up each contact and check."

"You, Sebastian and Finn." Kurt answered. "I never let anyone else add me."

Sam answered, "The same for me. I added Sebastian when we moved here."

Sebastian said, "He must have gotten to Finn's phone somehow."

Kurt opened Finn's contact and removed Finn's ability to track him. Kurt asked Sam to do the same thing.

"Where are we going to take him? Assuming that he doesn't already know where we live, I don't want him to find out while he's here, if I can help it."

Sebastian spoke up. "Let's play it cool and nice. Let's see what information we can get out of him before we decide what action to take."

"Okay. I'm going to drive to the closest McDonald's. Just follow him."

Kurt pulled to the exit of the parking lot and Blaine moved to follow him out. Sebastian pulled up behind Blaine and they all made their way to the nearest McDonald's.

It was pretty crowded since it was dinnertime, but Kurt intentionally looked for a table that wouldn't allow Blaine to see the cars from where they were sitting. Sebastian started recording as they sat down at the table.

"Okay. How did you find me?"

"That's not important."

"Fine. We'll get back to that. Why are you here?" Kurt asked.

"I told you earlier. I went to a therapist, like you said I should. And I'm following her advice."

"Your therapist told you to stalk me?"

"Well, she told me to follow my dreams and to make them come true. I've been doing a lot of thinking and my dream is to go to New York. You and Rachel were supposed to go first and get everything ready. You'd find an apartment, get everything ready and then Finn would go and then I would move in next summer. So, the four of us could live together and study in New York. But since Rachel didn't get in for the fall, the plan has changed a bit. You'll still go to New York, but the apartment part will have to wait until we get there since you'll live in a dorm since you don't know anyone to share an apartment with this year."

"So, back to my question. Your therapist told you to track me down - your EX boyfriend to make sure that your dream of New York comes true for you?"

"Well, it's our dream. Me and you with Rachel and Finn."

"Blaine, I broke up with you two and a half months ago. We aren't a couple. We don't share a common dream. Even if my dream is to sing on Broadway, which I am not saying that it is or isn't. But if it is, that has nothing to do with what you do with your life. Our lives are no longer intertwined in any way. What gave you the idea that I was still part of your dream?"

"But you are. I gave you space like you asked. I didn't bother you. I gave you time to forgive me. We can work through our problems and still be together."

"What kind of therapist are you seeing?" Sebastian asked. "Does he or she actually have a degree of any sort? What you're saying makes no sense whatsoever."

"Stay out of this. You aren't even supposed to be here. You are messing my plans up."

"Plans?" Kurt asked.

"Yes. I came to find you, and make sure you forgive me since I did everything you asked. And then we'll talk about our future. I know you might not be ready to take me back just yet, but you will in time. I need you and you love me."

"Are you on something?" Sebastian asked.

"Be quiet, Sebastian," Blaine said rudely.

"Don't speak to Sebastian that way, Blaine. You really need to go back to Ohio and leave me alone. We are not getting back together. Whether or not I forgive you is up to me, not you. Giving me space and time is not going to earn you my forgiveness. Forgiveness can't be earned. I am not in love with you. I do not love you. Right now, I'm having a hard time believing that I'm sitting here talking to you."

"But Kurt, I did what you asked."

"I still want an answer on how you found me."

"Rachel helped me. It's her therapist I've been going to. She's really nice. I really enjoy talking to her. I feel a lot better after I've been to see her."

"How did Rachel help you find me?"

"She used Finn's phone. She remembered something Finn had said one time about using an app to find you one day when he couldn't remember where he was supposed to meet you and he didn't want to ask again and have you tease him about forgetting everything."

"Okay. So, you got Rachel to use Finn's phone to track me down. So, Rachel is in on this 'plan' as well?"

"Of course. She and I have been spending a lot of time together since graduation."

"I see."

"Where are you staying tonight?"

"The Days Inn off of 91."

Kurt pulled his phone out and opened his camera app and went to sit next to Blaine. Sebastian stayed seated. Kurt held his phone in his hand and used the forward facing camera to record himself.

"State your full name."

"Um. This is ridiculous, Kurt. You know my full name."

"Just say it out loud."

"Blaine Devon Anderson."

"I, Kurt E. Hummel, am sitting here in a Hartford, Connecticut McDonald's with Blaine Anderson at 7:03pm on Wednesday, July 11, 2012. I hearby record this video stating that I am requesting that Blaine Anderson refrain from contacting me via any method in the future. My witness is Sebastian A. Smythe." Kurt turned the camera to show Sebastian across the table."

Sebastian spoke. "I am Sebastian Smythe and I have witnessed this request."

Kurt turned the phone back to face Blaine.

"Do you understand the request I am making?"

"Yes," Blaine answered reluctantly.

"Please answer in a complete sentence."

"I understand that you are requesting that I not contact you, but..."

"That's all I need. Thank you." And Kurt turned the recording off.

"I can't honestly say whether or not that has any legal standing, but I will certainly make sure that Sebastian's dad sees to it that your dad gets a copy of this video sent to him in a very legal way if you choose to go against my request."

"But Kurt, we're soul mates. Just like Rachel and Finn. We're meant to be together. Sebastian never even liked you. I let him chase after me and let him think I was interested to protect you from his manwhoring ways. He's just using you. You were broken hearted after losing me and he preyed upon your weakness and all he wants you for is the sex."

"Manwhore? Really Blaine?" Sebastian laughed.

"He's turned you into a prostitute. He paid to take you to France so he could get in your pants since I turned him down."

Kurt started laughing. Chortling. Cackling. "This is getting insane. Blaine, go get in your car. We're following you to your hotel to make sure you stay there."

"Kurt, you're not listening to me. He's bad news. He's just going to use you until he finds a newer more attractive guy to sleep with."

Sebastian had heard enough. He had sat back and let Kurt deal with Blaine, but he was done listening to this.

"Listen carefully, Blaine. Kurt is gorgeous. I love him. I had a crush on him from the moment he walked up and shook my hand in the Lima Bean back in November. My goal was to break the two of you up by getting him to see what a douche you were, but when I failed at that, I finally gave up. When he figured it out on his own a few months later, I went to him. We became friends. Then we became boyfriends. I will not listen to you call him a prostitute. He is not. I am not a manwhore, as you put it. Prior to this, I have dated one other person, back in France before I came to Ohio for school last fall. That relationship was over before I came here."

Blaine started to speak.

Sebastian spoke again over him. "Every member of my family has met Kurt. Every one of them loves him. He is special and amazing and I am thankful that he gave me a chance to prove myself to him. I have no intention of ever being as stupid as you were. You are the one who used him. You hurt him. You manipulated him."

Kurt spoke next. "Just to make this 100% clear to you. I am never getting back together with you."

"But Kurt, Rachel and I have everything figured out."

"Blaine. Repeat after me...Kurt is not part of my future."

Blaine wouldn't say it.

"Fine. Whether you say it or not, it's true. Now, if you want dinner, I'd suggest you go order it because when we leave here, we are escorting you back to your hotel."

"I'm not hungry."

"Have it your way. Let's go."

Sebastian waited for Kurt and Blaine to pass him and he turned his phone over and stopped the recording and he followed them out of the restaurant. They escorted Blaine to his car. Kurt led the way to the hotel and Sebastian followed behind. Kurt sent Sam a text at the first red light.

When they got to the hotel, Kurt led Blaine to the front desk to make sure that he would not be staying any more nights.

"Our room is under the name Blaine Anderson and I wanted to make sure that we are set to check out tomorrow morning. It will be very early. Will someone be here to do that at 6:00am?"

"Yes, sir. That will be no problem at all. Our records indicate that you had reserved the room for two more nights."

"We won't be needing those other two nights. Can you please cancel those?"

"Of course."

"Thank you for your help."

"Anytime, thank you for choosing Days Inn."

Kurt walked Blaine toward where Sebastian was waiting for them and the three of them walked to Blaine's room.

"Be downstairs at 6:00 to check out. I'll be waiting at the front desk. Sebastian will be waiting by your car."

Kurt and Sebastian walked back to their vehicles and drove home. Sebastian sent himself a copy of the video file. He let Sam listen to the conversation on the way back to the apartment.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The three of them went into the apartment and plopped down on the sofa.

"Well, now I know where Rachel was when she wasn't around when you two were in France."

"Yeah, hanging out with Blaine planning my future with him," Kurt added, sounding completely disgusted by the idea.

"I'm seriously doubting the credentials of this so-called therapist of Rachel's," Sebastian stated adamantly.

"Who tells a client to pursue their dream by stalking their ex?" Sam asked.

"I guess the same type of therapist who never seemed to actually help Rachel mature at all," Kurt responded.

"I want the therapist investigated," Sebastian said.

"Seems reasonable to me. I think we need to call my dad," Kurt said.

"Mine too," Sebastian said.

"Let's call them both. We'll put both phones on speaker next to each other and see if they can hear each other and us. It will save us from having to tell the story twice."

Both fathers were upset by what they learned during the conversation. They exchanged contact information for future reference.

"What a mess. I think that therapist is nuts. No wonder Rachel stayed messed up. If her therapist just tells her what she wants to hear and supports her in pursuing her dreams at any cost, no wonder she stalked Madame Tibideaux," Kurt said as he reflected on Rachel's past behavior.

"I say we just eat the rest of the leftover cold pizza and go to bed since we have to be over at the hotel at 6:00am to send him on his way," Sam suggested. "We can warm up what Sebastian made tonight and eat it for dinner tomorrow."

"Where did you put the distributor cap?" Kurt asked.

"It's in the paper sack with trash in it that was on the floorboard of Sebastian's car."

"Thanks for doing that so quickly."

"My pleasure," Sam said.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After they had showered and gotten into bed, Kurt positioned himself to be the big spoon. "I love you so much, mon choix. We have a home here together and he's not going to destroy that. I won't let him."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next morning, the three of them headed back to the hotel.

"I grabbed our shopping lists. Retail therapy may be on this morning's agenda," Kurt said.

Sam laughed and asked "Whose car?"

"Mine. We may need the space."

"That's a lot of retail therapy," Sebastian teased lovingly, while pulling Kurt close and kissing him. "If it makes you feel better, we'll go shop. Sam and I love shopping, right Sam?"

"Sure thing," Sam said as he half-rolled his eyes and smiled. "I believe it goes like this - 'Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping.' Right, Kurt?"

"Exactly, Sam. You were paying attention."

"I always pay attention," Sam teased. He opened Sebastian's car and pulled out the bag with the distributor cap in it.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Sebastian asked. "It obviously has something to do with that distributor cap, although I have exactly zero idea what that does in a car."

"Well, removing it is the fastest way to make a car non-functional. I know where Blaine keeps the extra key to his car. It's in a magnetic key holder under one of the tire wells. I had Sam get the key, open the hood and remove the distributor cap while I was standing with Blaine at the front desk last night. He didn't leave any prints on the car because he grabbed my work gloves that were in my overalls pocket before he did it."

"I wanted to make sure he was there this morning to listen to what I have to say."

"Why have you kept Sam hidden?" Sebastian asked.

"No one knows that Sam is with me. He decided not to tell anyone in Lima where he was going. I'm not giving away the fact that he's here knowing that Blaine will just go back and tell everyone."

Kurt pulled into the parking lot and started giving directions.

"Okay. Sam, while I'm inside the hotel, put his distributor cap back on wearing the gloves. Sebastian will watch for Blaine to come out the back entrance."

Kurt parked next to Blaine's car, walked into the hotel, but did not find Blaine waiting. He went and got Sebastian from the parking lot. Sam was already back in the Navigator. Kurt and Sebastian went up to Blaine's room and knocked on the door. He opened the door in his boxers and shirt he was wearing the day before. "Blaine, get dressed. You're checking out. Let's go. We'll wait in the hall. You've got five minutes."

Five minutes later, Blaine opened the door and came out dressed. They all walked to the front desk and Blaine signed the check-out papers and the credit card slip. They escorted him to his car.

"When you get back to Lima, call me from the phone at my dad's shop. As you already know, I've blocked your number. And I blocked Rachel's last night. I expect to hear from you by 6:00pm, no later. It's a 10-hour drive. That will give you a chance to pull over for at least an hour to rest and walk around and eat. Get in and start your car. We are following you as far as New Haven. You'll keep going from there."

Blaine tried to start in on Kurt again. "But Kurt, we're meant to be in New York together..."

But Kurt cut him off. "Blaine, knock it off. Stop talking. I am never getting back together with you. Get in your car and start it up. We'll follow you."

Kurt and Sebastian got in the Navigator. Blaine got in his car and headed out to 91 toward New Haven. Sam climbed back into the backseat as they hit the highway. When they were on Route 1 west of New Haven, Kurt dropped back, quickly changed lanes and exited the highway while Blaine kept going.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Okay, that was fun and tasty," Sam said when they got back into the Navigator.

"I hadn't eaten at a Cracker Barrel before," Sebastian said. "The biscuits and gravy were good. The grits were much improved by the addition of salt and pepper. It's sort of like the themed restaurants in Disneyland."

"I hadn't thought about it, but you're right. Part of the fun is the atmosphere. And I was definitely in the mood for fun and waffles."

"So, where to now, oh wise one of retail therapy?" Sam asked.

"Back to Kohl's. Philipe is coming to visit. I want to grab some guest towels and since you have underlined toaster about five times on the list, Sam, I am going to buy a toaster," Kurt laughed.

"I really don't like soggy sandwiches. If you toast the bread first, they're a lot less soggy at lunch the next day."

"Good to know, Sam. This is helpful information for the new lunch packer, namely me," Sebastian said. "Any other tips?"

"Cut the sandwiches in half. Much less messy to eat."

"Got it."

"After Kohl's, it's back to Ikea. I've decided that I'm going to spring for the side tables for our bed. I want some place besides the floor to put my phone, the books I'm reading and my Kindle."

They pulled into the Kohl's lot.

Sam said, "So tell me about Philipe." And Sebastian did while they walked through the store looking for a toaster. Kurt picked up a couple towel sets for guests and met them in the kitchen section.

"I think we need at least one glass casserole dish for now," Sam said.

"You're right. Grab one, but make sure it has a lid so we can just put any leftovers in the fridge." Kurt said.

"Do you need anything for school, Sam? I also need to know whether you want the khaki pants or the blue pants for your uniform?"

"Definitely blue. Khaki gets stained way too easily to wear everyday to school."

"That's what I figured."

"But to answer, no I'm good on the other stuff. And you guys brought me that cool backpack back from France."

"Alright then, we're done."

An hour later, they were done at Ikea as well. "I think I definitely need a $1 ice cream on the way out. We walked enough in here to allow for ice cream." They all got in line and got ice cream cones.

"So, Sam and I still have to go in to work at noon," Kurt said speaking to Sebastian. "I'll drop you off at the apartment, then take Sam to work and head in myself. I need to run in and grab my work shoes and our lunches before we leave though."

Kurt got out. Sam moved to the passenger seat. Kurt and Sebastian got a few minutes of hugging and kissing in before he ran back out to the Navigator and headed off for the afternoon.

As soon as he dropped Sam off, he called his dad. Burt arranged to be at the shop starting at 4:00 until closing to be there when Blaine arrived. Kurt asked Burt to make an appointment with Blaine's dad at his office in Ft. Wayne so that both he and Reid could pay Devon Anderson a personal visit. Kurt also wanted Burt to go over to Rachel's to speak with her parents at 7:00. Rachel and her dads needed to understand that she needed to stop meddling in Kurt's life.

He spent the afternoon working on the projects he was given and left his phone on vibrate in his pocket so he would know when Blaine called.

Finally at almost 6:00, his phone went off. He wiped his hands and answered.

"Hello?"

"He's here," Burt said. "He's just refusing to make the call himself."

"Good enough. At least I know he's not hanging around here stalking me. Call me when you get to Rachel's."

"Will do."


	21. Chapter 21

Kurt filled Sam and Sebastian in on his plan as they ate the dinner that Sebastian had made the day before.

"Thank you for dinner. It was really good."

"Definitely delicious," Sam added.

Kurt and Sam washed and dried the pots and pans quickly and loaded the dishwasher.

"I like that hall tree bench that you put together. I think you're right. It will be a great place to keep our stuff organized. Three sets of hooks and a shelf to put wet shoes on to dry underneath. Good spot this morning," Kurt said to Sebastian.

"I'm glad you like it," Sebastian responded.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

At 7:00, Kurt got a call from Burt. Kurt turned the speaker on.

"Am I on speaker phone?"

"Yes," Burt answered.

"Can everyone hear me?"

"Yes," in three distinct voices could be heard.

"Good. I want everyone to listen carefully. Blaine Anderson and I are finished. Over. Done. Through. We are never, ever getting back together."

"But Kurt," Rachel started.

"Rachel, hush. You are a meddling harridan."

"Kurt!" Leroy said.

"Don't 'Kurt' me, Leroy. Ask Rachel what she's been doing. Ask her how my EX boyfriend that I broke up with two and a half months ago managed to find me ten hours away when I've blocked him from calling me and on every social media site and no one except my parents knew where I was."

"Rachel?" Hiram asked. "What have you been doing?"

"I just helped Blaine get in contact with his soul mate. He and Kurt are meant to be together."

"Rachel, darling. It's not for you to decide who should be together and who should not. Kurt has free will and he if chooses to not date Blaine any that is his prerogative," Leroy said.

"But Blaine," Rachel interrupted.

Hiram interrupted. "Blaine is a teenage boy who can meet other people in his lifetime. There is no such thing as forcing two people to be soul mates. If Kurt does not love Blaine, then you need to leave things be."

"Thank you, Hiram," Kurt said.

"Now, I have a bone to pick with the two of you without Rachel around. Can you please send her out of hearing range of the phone?"

"Rachel, dear, go down to the basement and practice your singing," Hiram instructed her.

"Give her a few minutes." Leroy closed the door to the basement once he could hear Rachel singing."

"What's the problem, Kurt?" Hiram asked.

"I want you to tell me the qualifications of the therapist that Rachel has been seeing all of these years."

"Well," Leroy hesitated.

"I'm waiting," Kurt said impatiently.

Leroy started again, "Actually, she's just a close friend of ours, the wife of a college friend of mine. She's not licensed or anything. When Rachel was younger, she struggled with getting along with other kids. Her pediatrician recommended her seeing someone to possibly help her. We thought perhaps, she just needed to spend time with a female adult. She loved seeing Annie once or twice a week. And Annie enjoyed talking with Rachel. She could never have kids of her own, so it worked out well for the two of them."

"Not so well as you might think. This so-called therapist has been feeding Rachel's already gigantic ego all of these years. She's told her that she should pursue her dreams at all costs. I can tell you a few of the things that Rachel has done over the years that you would be ashamed of."

"You can't be serious," Hiram stated.

"I am totally serious. I'll give you one small thing that happened in junior year. We had a new student at McKinley. She wanted to join Glee, which Rachel was initially happy about because we were short members and didn't have enough people to qualify to compete. But once Rachel heard her sing, she was threatened by how good this girl was and Rachel gave her the address to an old crack house as the location for her audition."

"What?" Kurt heard both of Rachel's dads say.

"It's true. The girl's music books were stolen. Rachel paid to replace them. But we lost the new student when she transferred to Carmel."

"There are other things besides this?" Hiram asked.

"Yes. One thing that concerns me is that she has been bringing Blaine to see Annie as well. And now Annie has convinced Blaine to 'pursue his dreams' too. Blaine has somehow come to the conclusion that I am still part of that dream - that our plan to go to New York is still valid. He drove ten hours to find me yesterday - to convince me that I was his soul mate and that it is our destiny to go to New York together with Rachel and Finn."

"Seriously?" Hiram asked.

"Completely serious. He was waiting for me at my place of work when I got off from work yesterday. Rachel used Finn's phone to find my location Monday afternoon. She must have grabbed it before it locked when he left it laying somewhere. A call came into the shop for me Monday, but when I got to the phone to answer, the line was dead. I couldn't figure out who would call me at my place of work when no one except my dad knew where I was working. Well, when Blaine showed up yesterday, I figured out who had called. He was trying to pinpoint my exact location after Rachel told him my general location. And then he drove here - ten hours from Lima."

"I see." Leroy said.

"Another issue is that she has been taking Finn to see her therapist as well. She convinced my dad that her therapist would be just as good as seeing your rabbi for premarital counseling."

"She never told us that she wanted to pursue premarital counseling," Hiram stated.

"I figured that she hadn't. I was actually the one who suggested it to my dad to recommend it for the two of them. They have nothing in common and neither one of them knows how to run a household. I thought they needed some help to work through their differences. Basically the way things work now is that Rachel gets Finn to do whatever she wants. All. The. Time. If he suggests something different, she whines or complains to get him to do what she wants. He's just given up and does what she wants to start with to save time and the hassle. That's not how to start a marriage. I may be young, but I'm old enough to know that a marriage built on just one person calling the shots won't last."

"Yes, of course, compromise is key," Hiram agreed.

"Rachel does not know the meaning of the word 'compromise'. To her it means badger the other person until they give her what she wanted to start with."

"Kurt, you're not being very kind," Leroy said.

"You're right. Maybe that was an unkind thing to say, but that doesn't make it any less true. You have no idea how many times she stormed out of Glee when she didn't get her way. Mr. Schue just started giving her what she wanted to save time. He saw her as our lead singer and did whatever it took to keep her happy. While she is extremely talented, we had other singers who could have had that role, at least from time to time. We won Sectionals without Rachel singing at all."

"I wasn't aware of that," Leroy said.

"I think there are a lot of things that you've been unaware of. A situation where Rachel did whatever it took that personally affected me was when she ran against me for Student Body President when she knew that she had a full CV for college applications. Then when she withdrew her candidacy, she stuffed the ballot boxes and got me disqualified. I did nothing wrong. But her choice disqualified me. She didn't think through her actions. At least that time, there were some negative consequences for her."

"What do you mean?" Hiram asked.

"She was suspended and barred from performing at Sectionals last fall."

Hiram spoke up, "I didn't know about any of that. I'm sorry that her actions caused you to be disqualified."

"Burt spoke up. How did you not know that Rachel had been suspended? I was called down to the school over the issue."

Leroy responded, "Hiram and I went on a trip last fall. Maybe this happened during the time we were gone? We left Annie's number as the emergency contact number for the school."

"Hiram, I appreciate your apology, but Rachel has yet to apologize sincerely. Actually, right now, I can't think of a time when she has sincerely apologized for anything. She's very narcissistic. And she views herself as the center of the universe."

"You are speaking quite caustically tonight, Kurt," Leroy said.

"I am quite fed up with her behavior. She did something else in the name of success that has to do with _West Side Story_. Why don't you ask her about that when you ask her about her suspension?"

"Why have we not heard about these issues before?" Leroy asked.

Burt spoke up. "Kurt kept all of these things to himself. He's kept almost all of the things that people in this town have done to hurt him to himself all of these years. He planned and worked and planned more to move away from here and get away from this. And then Rachel helped his EX find him where he had escaped to. I'm sure that's the only reason any of us ever found out about these things. It breaks my heart knowing that even the people he considered his friends did these awful things to him."

Kurt cut in, "I spoke to Rachel at the graduation party and I really tried to smooth things over with her. Finn is my stepbrother and if they go through with the wedding, Rachel will become my sister-in-law. I was trying to keep things civil. To be honest, she is very angry that I got into NYADA and that she did not. I thought I had gotten through to her that afternoon, but I'm guessing that she went to see Annie and she undid anything positive that had come out of our talk that afternoon."

"Well, we are going to have a talk with Annie. She cannot be giving Rachel and her friends advice that includes stalking people," Hiram said resolutely.

"I think she shouldn't be giving anyone advice and that perhaps she's in need of psychiatrist herself," Kurt retorted.

"Wow, that's a harsh statement," Leroy chided.

"Not really if you know everything else that I know. Be prepared to deal with Blaine's father once my dad goes to see him. When he finds out that Blaine has been seeing a fake therapist and taking bad advice, I'm sure he won't be pleased. Blaine is a minor and his dad is a lawyer."

"Fantastic," Hiram said sarcastically.

Kurt asked, "Can you go get Rachel and bring her back up?" Leroy went to get Rachel.

"Hello, Kurt," Rachel said softly.

"Rachel, this is your final warning from me. Stay away from me. I gave you a chance at graduation, a chance that you honestly did not deserve. When you get help and you're ready to sincerely apologize, you can contact my dad or Carole and I'll arrange a time to speak with you. Otherwise, leave me alone. Do not interfere in my life in any way. Stop meddling. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Kurt," Rachel said.

"The three of you heard that as well as I did. Rachel just agreed to leave me alone. If she bothers me, I will pursue legal action. I am done. I moved away from Lima for many reasons, and one of them was to get away from the constant drama. I'm done with it. I am an adult. I have a job. I have an apartment. I have bills to pay. When school starts, I will have schoolwork to do as well. My life does not and will not revolve around this nonsense anymore."

Hiram said, "I completely understand, Kurt. Leroy and I will consider what to do about what we discussed earlier as well."

"Well, I am going to hang up now. I think my dad has some more things to discuss with you that involve Finn. Good evening."

Kurt hung up.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"The bitch is back!" Sam said in his best specter voice.

"What?" Sebastian said.

"It's from _Casper_."

"Oh, I haven't seen that," Sebastian replied.

"Well, way back in the day, Kurt was quite well known for the epic smack downs he would wield at the neanderthal jocks at school. He never fought back physically, but he was notorious for his epic rants that used words the jocks had never heard before. And he had quite the reputation for being a bitch."

"Well, I've been on the receiving end of what I would call the 'ice king smack down', which I totally deserved, by the way. I bet these tirades were magnificent."

"You sweet talkers," Kurt laughed and batted his eyelashes at the two of them.

"Hey, now. I'm smart enough to never be on the other end of one of those tirades," Sam said. "I'll just admire them from afar," he laughed.

Kurt tackled him and started tickling him.

"You win. I give, oh great ice king leader, ruler of all."

"Thanks for making me laugh," Kurt said. "I think I'm ready to call it a night though. I just want to take a hot shower and lie in bed and read for a while."

"Let's see if _Casper_ is on Netflix," Sam said to Sebastian.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt showered quickly and climbed into bed. He read for a few minutes, but just couldn't keep his mind focused. He kept being dragged back in to his past by his thoughts. He felt like he just couldn't escape. He hoped that Rachel's parents would actually do something to help her, like find her a real therapist - a good one like the one that helped Sebastian and Reid. He pulled out his phone and texted Reid to get her contact information.

Once he had it, he sent it to his dad and Carole suggesting that they take Finn to see her. Finn needed someone to help him figure himself out after spending time with Rachel's so-called therapist. Maybe Dr. Morris could recommend a good therapist for Rachel and Blaine to see.

About an hour later, Sebastian climbed into bed after his shower. Kurt was lying there, not asleep, just with his eyes shut. Sebastian lay down gently on his own side of the bed, trying to give Kurt space if he still needed it. It had been an emotionally draining couple of days.

Almost instantaneously, Kurt rolled over and flopped himself into Sebastian's chest. "Did you enjoy your movie with Sam?"

"Yes, he's fun. And he makes you laugh when you're down. He's quickly become my favorite person that's not a family member."

Kurt looked at him strangely.

Sebastian ran his thumb across Kurt's cheek. "You're already family. My family loves you. I love you so, so much." He leaned down and kissed Kurt gently.

"I love you too, Bas. Last night when you defended me, I felt invincible. I feel like he can't get to me when you're there."

"Well, he won't if I have anything to say about it. I will protect you. I will defend you. You did the same for me that evening in the record store. You know, Sam wanted to kick his butt, but he keeps his promises. He's a good guy. He really has become a good friend already. It's no wonder you love him so much."

"He's awesome. And yes, he keeps his promises."

Kurt hopped up out of the bed and went in the bathroom and came back. He pushed the covers back and sat at the end of the bed and pulled Sebastian's feet into his lap. He put some lotion on his hands and started to massage Sebastian's feet.

"Mmm. That feels so good."

"That's what I want - for you to feel good." Sebastian relaxed as Kurt continued to massage his feet.

Sebastian reached over and turned the remaining light off and lay back enjoying his foot massage.

After Kurt finished messaging both of Sebastian's feet, he moved back to his side of the bed and pulled the covers up over Sebastian partially and put the lotion on the floor by the bed. Sebastian snuggled up behind Kurt as the big spoon and lay that way for a few minutes.

After a few minutes, he said, "You know that today is our one month-iversary. You asked me a month ago to be your boyfriend and it's been an amazing month."

"We've spent so much time together and done so many things together that it seems longer than a month."

"It's been ten weeks since you gave me a chance."

"Best choice ever," he said, as he pulled Sebastian's hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian woke to the feeling of kisses being gently pressed into his neck.

"Mmm."

"Wake up, sleepyhead. I have a plan."

"Does this plan include you kissing me like this?"

"You like this?"

"Enough to make me wonder how your plan could be better than staying right here," he teased.

"Well, you'll never know unless you get up and find out." Kurt gave him one more kiss and climbed out of bed, grabbing his iPod dock and iPod on his way out to the living room.

When Sebastian came in, Kurt had already docked the iPod and it was playing a waltz.

"Mmm. You're right I will love this."

"Help me move the coffee table. We'll pick it up and then flip it over and put it on top of the dining table." Kurt had already pushed it back against the kitchen counter.

"Won't we wake Sam up?"

"He got called in to work because one of the morning counselors called out sick."

A few minutes later, they were waltzing their way around the living room.

"Now, I see why it was so important to you to make it harder to get out the patio door," Sebastian said, smirking.

"Yes, I envision us dancing around in the open space in here a lot more than going in and out the patio door." Kurt winked.

"Mmm hmm," he murmured as he enjoyed dancing with Kurt.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam and Kurt came back home from work to find dinner waiting for them on the table.

"We are going to be so spoiled by the time school starts," Sam said. "This is really good. I have no idea what it is, but I like it."

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it."

"I notice that our hall tree now matches the rest of the furniture," Kurt said. "What else have you been up today?"

"Well, I'll show you after dinner. First there's dessert." Sebastian pulled a pie out of the oven. where he had kept it hidden.

"What are we celebrating?" Sam asked.

"We are officially moved in. All of the boxes are empty and gone."

"Wow, you have been busy today," Kurt said, adding, "Mmm, this pie is really good."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam spent the evening in his room painting since a blank canvas had magically appeared on his easel while he was at work. He also found a collage frame on his desk. He texted Sebastian a thank you message.

Kurt and Sebastian spent their evening together in their bedroom as well. Sebastian had emptied all of the boxes like he said, but he hadn't managed to put away all of Kurt's stuff. He didn't want to overstep and look through Kurt's storage containers, so he had stacked them on Kurt's desk.

"Our closet is in serious need of organization," Kurt said. He moved the stuff from his desk to the bed to sort it better.

"Will it bother you if I go out and get the things we need and organize it tomorrow?"

"No, I've gotten over that hurdle, mostly," he smiled at Sebastian and moved closer to him and wrapped his arms around his neck. "You are really good at taking care of me. Even though it's not easy for me to let you, I'm not going to struggle against it anymore. It's finally gotten through my thick skull that you aren't going to lord whatever you do for me over my head as a way to control me later. Never once have you said, 'but I did X for you, you should do Y for me.'"

Sebastian kissed him, again and again.

"That's not doing something for someone. That's just a way of getting something for yourself."

"Exactly. You're not like that at all."

"Neither are you." The kissing resumed.

"Aren't we supposed to be putting this stuff away."

"I like the kissing better," Sebastian said as he resumed kissing Kurt.

"Me too, but I don't like sleeping on the floor," Kurt pointed out.

"Right. Back to putting stuff away. If you give me an idea of what to do with the stuff that's on the bed, you can get your books organized on your bookshelf the way you want them. Or we can do it the other way around."

"Okay, you can do the books. Reference books, next to bottom shelf. Non-fiction books above that, alphabetized by author. Fiction books above that, same organization. Any other stuff, top shelves to be dealt with later. The bottom shelf will be for my school books."

"Got it."

They worked for an hour or so and had everything cleaned up, except that Kurt had nowhere to put all of his sewing stuff, so he stacked it by his desk on the floor. While they worked, they talked about what to do with their photos since they hadn't hung anything on the walls in their room yet and what they wanted to do in DC. By the time they were done, Sebastian had a plan for the closet as well.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

While Kurt showered, Sebastian created a detailed shopping list for the next day using the Ikea website. Kurt wrote out all of his thank you cards and addressed them while Sebastian was in the shower. He was stacking them on his desk when Sebastian came back into the room. He came up behind Kurt and grabbed his hand and spun him into a hug. "Let's take pictures tomorrow morning when it's light outside. That way we can show our parents what we've done with the place."

"I told Carole I'd take pictures, so she'll be disappointed if I show up without any. I go in early tomorrow morning, but I get off early - at 2:00, so let's take them then."

Sebastian danced him across the room and backed him up to the bed and flopped them onto it. "I was going to suggest reading and snuggling, but I just want to snuggle since you have to leave so early. I can read after you leave in the morning."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt dropped Sam off since the camp had called him in for a second day to cover for the sick counselor. "You've got to be tired after being there for 11 hours yesterday."

"Yeah, but just think of the extra money. I need to make it when I can. The great thing about the after-school job is that it's fixed hours and close enough to walk to. The downside is that if there's no school, there's no after-school care. So, fall break, winter break, spring break means no hours. I'll need to save up to cover for the weeks I won't work. Thanks for the ride. See ya!"

Sebastian didn't read that morning. He left right after Kurt and Sam and went to New Haven. He walked around the Yale campus for a while and on a whim, he went in the bookstore and bought himself a Yale t-shirt. He spent the rest of the morning in Ikea buying things to fix up their closet and to store Kurt's sewing supplies. He also bought several picture frames of various types, some collage frames for the walls and individual frames for the photos that Kurt had already printed. He grabbed lunch before he left.

He found a place to print pictures before he went back to the apartment. He printed out photos of himself and his parents from graduation, one from the night all of them went bowling, the one of him and Kurt in the giant insect playground, the one that Kurt had sent him in his graduation robe with the brooch on it, the one Philipe had taken of the three of them in front of Buckingham Palace, and various other photos that he really liked to put in one of the collage frames.

When he got back to the apartment, he put his photos in a collage frame. He put the photos Kurt had brought with him into standing frames and sat them on the upper shelves of his bookcase along with the one of Kurt in his graduation gown. He put his own graduation photo and a few others in standing frames on his bookcase as well. He hung the painting that Sam had given Kurt for his birthday on the short wall on the side of their bed where Kurt could see it while lying in bed. Kurt came in a little after 2:00 to find Sebastian in the living room reading.

"I'm going to shower. I'm just disgusting. I don't even want to explain what happened. Ugh. I'll be back."

Sebastian got up and made Kurt a snack and was waiting for him in the bedroom when he got out of the shower. Kurt came out wearing just a pair of pajama pants. He was clearly in a hurry on his way into the bathroom. Sebastian pulled him straight into a hug. "Surprise!" he said as he turned him around and wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and then showed him the photos.

"Oh, wow. It looks great - so much more personal now. You even left me a collage frame to fill. Thank you. Oh, you put my painting up too. I like it there. I'll be able to see it sitting on the bed. You got me a small dresser for my sewing stuff?" Sebastian nodded.

Sebastian sat down on the bed, leaned back and opened his arms offering to hold Kurt, who had obviously had a rough day. Kurt grabbed an undershirt and put it on, and accepted the offer and climbed into Sebastian's arms and sighed and relaxed. Sebastian kissed the top of his head and traced patterns on his chest.

"Is the place you printed your pictures close by? I'd like to go there and print some of mine too."

"Yep, about ten minutes from here. Grab your DVDs and let's go over there. We can come back and put your pictures in the frames and then take photos of the apartment and run back and print them to take with us. I saw a Chinese place over near there and I went in to take a look and the buffet looked really good at lunch time. We can swing by and pick Sam up from the school and go eat there. I'm sure he's starving after being there for so long."

"Perfect plan. Let me get clothes on." Kurt walked into their closet. "Oh, my. The organization fairy visited while I was gone. The closet is fabulous." Kurt came out wearing jeans and a t-shirt. He practically jumped Sebastian with a huge bear hug. "You are awesome!" He gave him a big smoochy kiss too. "Ooh, you got a Yale shirt too. You have been a busy bee today," he laughed. "Come on. Let's go." He grabbed his DVDs and Sebastian's hand and they left.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"This place is really good," Sam said. "Good find."

"I agree. Maybe we should make a splurge list and add places that are totally worth the extra money to eat at," Kurt said.

"Let's watch a movie when we get home. We can sit Sebastian's lap top on the coffee table and figure out a way that we can all three see," Sam suggested.

"That sounds fun. I have to go in early tomorrow though, so I can't stay up really late. I have to get used to early Saturdays. I work at 7:00 every Saturday morning. The shop doesn't even open until 11:00 on Saturdays, but the owner has a couple of guys work on the really hard jobs when no one is there to cause interruptions and slow the process down."

"Kurt and I took pictures of your room this afternoon. I hope that's okay. Carole wanted to see how the apartment turned out. If you don't want us to show them to her, we can just leave those pictures behind."

"No, it's fine. There's nothing secret about my bedroom. It's actually super cool and awesome. I've never had such a big space of my own. I can actually paint and work on projects in there."

"Yeah. It's already starting to feel like home," Sebastian said. Kurt smiled and reached for his hand under the table.

"Shall we head home?" Kurt asked.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After the movie, Sebastian showered and Kurt pulled out the clothes that he wanted to take to DC. He laid them on the back of his chair. When Sebastian came out of the bathroom, Kurt grabbed the items he needed and packed his toiletries bag. He pulled out his duffel and sat it on his desk and folded the clothes he had chosen and put them in the duffel and left it open. He turned off the lights and climbed into bed with Sebastian.

"You can add your clothes to the duffel and put it in your car while I'm work. I'll come straight home, shower, change and we'll head to DC."

"I'll have lunch ready for you too. Something you can eat in the car."

"You take such good care of me. Thank you."

"Always."

Kurt was asleep on Sebastian's chest just a few minutes later.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"How did I miss this?" was the first thing out of Kurt's mouth as he came in the door from work.

"You were really stressed out and tired yesterday," Sebastian said.

"Well, I love it. It's absolutely perfect."

Sebastian had ordered a wall cling and put it on the wall in the entryway to the apartment across from the coat closet. It said:

In this house  
We believe in magic  
Once upon a time and in a  
Galaxy far, far away  
we have wuv, twu wuv  
to infinity and beyond.  
We know the answer to everything is 42  
& that the odds are ever in our favor,  
that with great power comes great responsibility.  
In this house  
we have epic adventures!

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt jumped in the shower. He came out the room ready to go 15 minutes later. Kurt hugged Sam goodbye. Sebastian and Kurt were on the road five minutes later. Sebastian handed Kurt his lunch.

"Thank you. This is delicious. It's some kind of chicken salad that I've never had before, but it's really good."

"I'm glad you like it. I'll add it to the 'repeat this recipe' list."

When Kurt finished, Sebastian reached into the back seat and grabbed a tour book for Washington, DC. "I know we didn't get our plans finished, so I went to the library this morning and got this book for you to look at while we drive. You'll like the library."

Kurt opened it up and read parts of it to Sebastian and they talked about different places and made a mental list of places to discuss with Carole and Burt.

About seven hours later, they had arrived at the townhouse that Burt had arranged for the four of them to use. It belonged to another congressman that had gone back home for the week.

Kurt and Sebastian knocked on the door and were greeted by Carole and Burt. Carole pulled Kurt into a hug and Burt shook Sebastian's hand. A few seconds later, Kurt was being bear hugged by his dad and Carole gently hugged Sebastian.

"It's nice to finally meet you," she said.

"You too," he replied.

Carole showed them around the townhouse. The main suite was downstairs and was locked. The ground floor had a living room, dining room, kitchen and half-bath. There were two guest rooms with their own bathrooms upstairs that the owner let people use when he wasn't in town. She showed them which room was theirs. Sebastian put the duffel on the dresser in the room and started to pull their clothes out to hang them up, which only took a couple of minutes. Kurt grabbed their toiletries and put them in the bathroom and handed the duffel to Sebastian to put in the closet. Carole was watching them intently as the scene unfolded.

"Dinner will be done in about ten minutes," she said and walked back downstairs.

"She likes you," Kurt said.

"Well, I hope so," Sebastian teased. "I want her to. And your dad too, but I'm figuring that will be a harder sell."

"Maybe not. Don't forget that he's been talking to your dad. I imagine that his opinion has improved dramatically from what it was."

"Well, that's good news for me. I've been really nervous."

"Come here," Kurt opened his arms. "It's going to be fine. Just try to relax." Kurt ran his thumb over Sebastian's check and leaned up and kissed him. "Let's go eat dinner. Carole's a good cook. We'll have whatever healthy thing she's managed to convince my dad to like."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Dinner went much more smoothly than Sebastian had anticipated. He wasn't grilled by Carole or Burt. They just asked general questions about his life, his family, his school and career plans. Kurt talked about his new job and Sam's. Carole seemed quite pleased that Sam was settling in and enjoying his job. She was every bit the mothering type that Kurt had described. He knew that he'd be next on the list for her to take under her wing. It was just her style.

After they finished eating, Kurt went upstairs and grabbed the envelope of photos of their apartment and a few of the two of them in France that he had printed to give to his parents.

They told stories on themselves about their adventures in furniture assembly. Carole laughed and told a few of her own. Burt watched the two of them interact. Kurt did not restrain himself from being affectionate with Sebastian and Burt had to remind himself that he wasn't going to behave the way he had previously. He was going to keep up his end of the bargain. He found himself actually relaxing and realizing that Sebastian was a calming presence in Kurt's life. Kurt wasn't holding himself back or stifling Sebastian. They were equals in a way that Burt had never seen except with Kurt and Sam.

Kurt and Sebastian talked about the things they'd done in France. They used Burt's laptop to share Kurt's photos from their trip while they talked. The awkwardness Burt thought would be there just wasn't. He found himself interacting with Sebastian fairly easily considering that they seemed to have no common interests whatsoever. Sebastian listened and participated, but didn't try to overrun a conversation.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian went upstairs and came back with some card games.

"Oh, that was a good idea to pack those," Kurt said. Kurt ejected his DVD and put it in the sleeve, turned the laptop off and they all moved back to the kitchen table and played a few rounds of Uno and got their tushes thoroughly beaten by Kurt. Sebastian just laughed at him as he did his victory dance. Burt laughed along with him, enjoying the fact that Sebastian didn't seem at all put out by the fact that he had lost.

They changed games and played Set. It was close several times, but Kurt came out the winner with 3 games to Carole's and Sebastian's 1 game each.

"I think we've had enough of Kurt's ass-kickin' tonight," Burt said. "I'm ready to hit the hay. We'll finalize our plans over breakfast. I'll see you boys in the morning."

Carole got up and went upstairs with Burt. "Good night, boys."

Kurt and Sebastian collected up the games and took them back upstairs.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Once they were both in bed, Kurt said, "That went so much better than I had anticipated. My dad really kept up his end of the deal. He didn't give me the stink eye, not even once."

"He seemed to be having a good time to me."

"I know. It was great. This weekend is going to be so much more fun than I thought. I figured it would take a day or two for him to decide that you were not the bad guy. But he legitimately seems to like you."

"You sound so surprised. You said that spending time with my dad would have helped."

Kurt scooted up close to Sebastian, who turned over to be the little spoon while they kept talking.

"Yes. I'm sure it did. But he's never liked me liking a guy. He's always been verbally supportive, but deep inside, he was still bothered by it. He's been working through his issues obviously."

"Well, he clearly has no intention of losing you. You did give him an ultimatum."

"I know. I didn't want to, but I just didn't see any other option."

"Well, it seems to have set him on the path to getting over his issues."

"It does," Kurt said as he placed gentle kisses on Sebastian's neck. He whispered, "Let's get some sleep, mon choix. I love you."

"I love you, mon ange," Sebastian said as he pulled Kurt's hand up and kissed his knuckles.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Sebastian went down to the kitchen, planning to make breakfast for everyone, but found that Carole was already in the kitchen prepping.

"Here, let us," Kurt said. "Sit at the counter and we'll cook while you tell us about DC." Kurt placed the tour guide book that they'd brought with them on the counter in front of her. "We've looked through there, but you've been here a lot. What do you suggest?"

Kurt started chopping veggies while Sebastian tended the turkey bacon that was just starting to cook in the skillet. Kurt switched to whisking the eggs once the vegetables were ready to use. Carole looked through the book, but she was mostly watching the two of them work together so easily. She had never seen that with Blaine, who always just seemed to get in Kurt's way in the kitchen. She smiled as she watched them. Little touches here, smiling at each other, a kiss on the cheek. She was well on her way to considering Sebastian family in a way that Blaine had never been. They may have only been together for a month, but they were already more in sync than Kurt and Blaine had ever had been.

"I forgot to thank you for the lovely trench coats that you left for me and Burt. They fit really well. I'm going to go get my phone. I had Finn take a picture of us in them." She came back a couple of minutes later. While she was finding the picture, she continued, "Oh, and those chocolates, those were really good. I even let Burt eat all of his, even though I'm sure they don't fit his dietary restrictions."

"I'm sure they don't, but a treat every now and then makes things more fun." Kurt moved to see the pictures. "They look good on you guys. Thanks for showing me."

"I'm sure we'll get a lot of wear out of them. You always give the best gifts."

Kurt blushed. "Well, I'm glad you like them."

Kurt moved back around to start the omelettes in the skillet that Sebastian had just pulled the bacon out of. He had placed the bacon on a baking sheet and put it in the oven that he had turned on when he started cooking the bacon.

Sebastian found a loaf of bread. "Will either of you want toast?"

"Sure, I'll have some. Just a slice for Burt." Sebastian toasted and buttered Carol's bread, slipped it on a plate right as Kurt had finished her omelette. He opened the oven and grabbed a few slices of bacon and laid them on top and then placed her plate in front of her. "Thanks," she said sweetly. She could see Sebastian looking around, and said, "Next to the fridge."

He nodded and pulled out a fork and handed it to her.

Kurt made Sebastian's omelette next. Sebastian plated his own bacon and toast and sat next to Carole at the counter.

"Is Dad coming down soon?"

"He was on the phone when I came down. I thought he'd be right behind me."

Kurt put Burt's omelette on the tray in the oven with the bacon to keep it warm and moved on to making his own omelette. Kurt sat with the other two at the counter and began to eat. "So, where do you want to go today?" he asked Carole.

"Well, honestly, I've not been to many of the places that people tend to visit. A lot of the time, I just relax and read or watch movies during the day when I'm here because I have to cram a lot of shifts into a short period of time to have the time off to come with Burt."

"That makes sense," Sebastian said. "Is there a place that you'd really like to go that Burt would never want to visit?"

"Well, Burt's not really all that into history and I'd like to see some of the stuff at the National Museum of American History."

"Excellent. Sebastian loves history. That's where we'll go tomorrow when Dad has meetings to go to. But for today, what's something you think Dad would like to do?"

"Oh, you know your dad. He'd probably like to sit here and watch some sporting event on TV."

"Yuck," Kurt said objecting.

"I know," she said. "That's not your thing."

Sebastian offered a suggestion. "Remember when we went boating with your grandparents on the Seine?"

Kurt nodded.

"Well, there's a river nearby. Maybe there's something like that here. Would Burt enjoy something like that?"

"You know, he probably would," Carole answered.

Sebastian pulled out his phone and started looking for options, while Kurt looked though the guidebook to see if there were any listed.

"I've found one that still has openings for this afternoon. Should I get us tickets?" Sebastian asked.

"Let me run upstairs and see why Burt hasn't come down yet."

While she was gone, Kurt and Sebastian collected the empty plates and the pan and Kurt washed them and Sebastian dried them. She came back down before he had gotten them put away. She left one plate and fork out and put the rest away. Kurt wiped down the counters and stove.

"He says the boat tour will be fine and he'll be right down." She handed Sebastian her debit card. He paid for his and Kurt's tickets and used her card to pay for hers and Burt's. Carole noticed that he didn't let her pay for all of the tickets.

"There are several new movies that came out in the last couple of weeks. How about we go see a movie afterwards?" Kurt suggested.

"Oh, now your dad will definitely like that."

Kurt used his phone to find the closest theater and pulled up the website and showed Carole the choices. Burt finally came in. Kurt got up and plated Burt's food that had been in the oven and let Burt sit on the stool that he had been using. Kurt washed the baking sheet that had been in the oven while Carole showed Burt the movie listings.

"Well, I don't know much about any of those. Is one of them a spy movie? That's the kind of thing we usually all go see together."

Kurt looked up the synopsis of a few that looked like potentials. _Red Lights_ and _Easy Money_ look like the closest. He showed them to Burt.

"Robert De Niro and Sigourney Weaver? I like them. Let's go see that one... _Red Lights_. Then we'll go out to dinner."

"Sounds like a plan," Carole said. "What time does the boat tour start?"

"1:00. There were earlier ones, but I didn't know about the traffic and how long it takes to get to the launch area. I'll pull up a map and directions." Kurt moved around behind Sebastian and was leaning on him with his arms wrapped around his waist, chin propped on Sebastian's shoulder, looking at the map with him. "It looks like it's about a 30-minute drive, so we'll leave at noon, just to be cautious?"

Everyone nodded. Carole and Burt were still in their pajamas and robes. Carole grabbed Burt's empty plate and washed it quickly and put it away. "Let's go sit in the living room."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Carole and Burt sat on the couch. Kurt and Sebastian sat on the love seat across from them.

"So, let's get the dreary stuff out of the way so we can enjoy the rest of the time you're here," Burt said.

Kurt scooted closer to Sebastian. "Okay, Dad."

"I called Devon's office Thursday after you talked to me the first time. I got an appointment with Devon on Friday before lunch. People seem to clear their schedules quickly when a congressman and the state's attorney request an appointment together."

Kurt laughed.

"So, it was an enlightening visit. Devon was not aware that you and Blaine had ever dated. The last thing he knew about was Blaine dating Rachel briefly. And he knew that they had been spending a lot of time together again lately and he actually thought that maybe Blaine had just been confused when he came out and that he would be dating Rachel again sometime soon."

"I'm sure he was shocked to find out that Rachel's engaged to Finn, unless she's not anymore," Kurt said unsure of how things stood.

"Well, Finn broke up with her after he found out that she had used his phone to track your whereabouts. He thought you had gone to New York and was upset that you had hidden where you were going from him, but he was somewhat understanding when we explained to him why you had done that," Carole answered.

"Especially given that Rachel had done exactly what you thought she would if she knew where you were, which was tell people."

"I'll talk to him," Kurt said.

Carole nodded.

Burt began to speak again. "So, Reid played the video that you recorded in Connecticut for Devon. He was quite upset. He's looking into prosecuting Annie somehow, but hasn't come up with a way yet. Since he didn't pay for her services and she isn't actively presenting herself as a psychologist or a psychiatrist, there's not a whole lot that he came up with at the time. But needless to say, he is not happy."

"I called Dr. Morris and Finn will start to see her next week. I'm hoping that she's as helpful to him as she has been to you and your dad," Carole said to Sebastian. "Me too," he replied. Kurt took his hand and gently rubbed his thumb over Sebastian's ring.

"I hope Mr. Anderson gets Blaine some real help," Kurt said.

"I hope so too. I gave him Dr. Morris' contact information, but specifically asked him to get a referral from her to someone who specializes in the type of problems Blaine has."

"So, it's over," Kurt said, sounding relieved. "I mean I thought it was before and then he showed up where I work."

"Reid made it pretty clear that if Blaine showed up again in Connecticut bothering either one of you that he would file a for a restraining order. He presented Devon with a cease and desist letter, which of course is nothing more than a written version of 'stay away from someone or else', but nonetheless it was the first step in a process."

"Devon took it all very seriously after he had seen the video and listened to the audio recording. He seemed quite shocked, honestly."

"I can imagine," Kurt said. "If he didn't even know we were dating, it would be really weird to listen to that recording."

Sebastian asked, "What about Rachel?"

Carole answered, "Well, Burt came home from visiting the Berry's and he told me what had happened. I went and talked to Finn about it. I don't usually get in the middle of their romantic squabbling - you know that." Kurt nodded. "But this was different. I went up to Finn's room and told him that Rachel had used his phone to locate you and that she had given that information to Blaine and that he had gone to your place of work to try to get you to take him back. I left out any details. Just the bare bones. I figured it needed to be up to him to confront her if he wanted to."

"He came barreling down the stairs and ran out of the house, like his room was on fire," Burt added. "He hightailed it to the Berry's and confronted her."

"It seems like your lecture on 'saying nothing means you agree' had an effect on him," Carole said to Kurt.

"Good."

"About 30 minutes later, he was back. He told us that Carole was right - that Rachel had used his phone to track you down. He was doubly upset about her betrayal. He felt betrayed that she had used him to find you AND she had betrayed you as well by telling Blaine."

"He's given her the benefit of the doubt so many times, Carole. He has listened to her 'reasons' for her behavior. She is a master at persuasion and she always manages to get him to forgive her without actually apologizing."

"He did mention that, now that you bring it up," Burt said. "He said 'she's not even sorry'. That really bothered him. He said she tried the shift the blame onto Sebastian as a bad influence in your life and encouraging you to be shifty and hide yourself from everyone."

"Yeah, she's like that. Dad, I really did try to keep the peace. I tried to stay out of it. I knew that Finn loved her."

"Kurt, it's not got anything to do with you, honey. You're allowed to have a life," Carole said.

"Something I forgot," Burt stated. "Reid gave me a cease and desist letter for Rachel as well. I took it by Leroy's office and hand delivered it on my way to pick Carole up to drive to the airport after our meeting with Devon."

Burt spoke to Sebastian, "Your dad told me about some of his struggles on the way to Fort Wayne. He seems to be doing better with the help of Dr. Morris."

"Yeah, he does. I'm glad he gave her a chance. I think she can help Finn too."

Carole said, "I hope so. This last thing with Rachel really knocked him for a loop. He's known that she's difficult, but he was working to rebuild your trust, Kurt, and she used him against you. It's a struggle for him right now."

"I'll definitely call him and make sure that he knows that I don't blame him for the fact that she was being a sneak."

Speaking to Sebastian, Burt said, "Your dad and I had met before and run into each other at political functions, but we're going to try to find some time in our busy schedules for all three of us to get to know each other better."

"That will be good for my dad. He sits in his home office alone too much," Sebastian said. Kurt squeezed his hand.

"That's a really good idea, Dad. Thanks."

"Well, Burt and I better get upstairs and get ourselves ready so we can leave at noon," Carole said as she stood up. Burt followed her lead and got up as well.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian spread his knees apart and patted the cushion. Kurt turned and sat in the open space and leaned against the arm of the love seat, pulled his feet up onto the cushion he had been sitting on, and Sebastian put his arms around Kurt and held him close. They both closed their eyes and enjoyed the closeness and calm that they felt knowing that Rachel and Blaine would more than likely leave them alone from now on. They could hear the water turn on upstairs. Kurt leaned in and started gently kissing Sebastian.

"Mmm," came from Sebastian.

Kurt startled when he heard a stair squeak. He pulled back and started to move, but Sebastian didn't let loose.

"Don't mind me," Carole said as she smiled, seeing them together. "I just came back to grab my phone off the counter before I end up not remembering where I left it." She was on her way back up in a flash.

"Sorry. I'm sorry, mon choix. I'm not embarrassed of us, I promise."

"I know. I really do. I know you're not ashamed of us. You were just startled. Just stay here and let me hold you. I'm here. I love you, mon ange. This has been a really tough few days and you've been holding it all in. I just want to hold you."

Kurt relaxed into Sebastian's arms and let his frustrations slip away.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

An hour later, Burt and Carole came down the stairs to find Kurt in the same position, sleeping in Sebastian's arms.

Carole spoke very quietly, "He looks exhausted. I'm glad to see that he lets you care for him. He's always working so hard and does more than he should for other people."

Sebastian answered back, almost silently, "It's been a rough few days, but he's tough. He's done the same for me before. We'll be okay."

Sebastian pulled Kurt up a little bit and spoke into his ear gently, "Mon ange, we need to finish getting ready to go. You're parents are ready now."

Kurt leaned forward and kissed him gently. "Alright, mon choix. I'll get up." Kurt stretched a bit and stood up. He offered his hand and pulled Sebastian up. "Let me go grab my boots and put them on and I'll be ready to go." Kurt headed up the stairs and came right back down and sat at the bottom of the stairs and put the boots on. "Ready," he stated enthusiastically.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Over dinner, they talked about how much they enjoyed the boat ride and how the historical information the guide shared made the trip more interesting. They also discussed the movie they had seen, the parts the liked and the parts they thought could have been better. Carole asked them a lot of questions about their time in France. Kurt and Sebastian asked Burt about his position as a congressman. After a couple of hours, Carole got up and said she was going to head to bed. Kurt suggested that Sebastian shower first, which left Kurt and Burt alone together in the living room.

After the other two had gone upstairs, Kurt spoke first, "Thank you, Dad."

Burt looked at him inquiringly.

"For not interrogating Sebastian. For being different than you've ever been before. I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to be to not have to be on edge all the time."

"Look, Kurt. I did a lot of thinking after our long talk. I didn't like a lot of what I realized about myself. Talking the talk is good, but walking the walk makes more of a difference. I can SAY that I'm okay with who you are, but if I ACT like I'm not, that makes what I say mean nothing. You mean everything to me. I was holding on to you so tight that I was pushing you away. You deserve the kind of love I saw this afternoon in Sebastian's eyes. He put your needs above his own and just sat there and held you. You've always kept yourself so closed off from people that I never even considered that you would let someone in like that. But I'm glad that you've found someone."

"Me too, Dad."

"I do have a question for you. You're both wearing rings on your left hands. Are the two of you engaged already?"

"No, Dad. They're promise rings. We've been wearing them since we started dating about five weeks ago. But I see us headed that direction."

"I see."

"Look, I'm sure that it seems too soon to you. Maybe it is too soon to feel that way about him. But this is so much different than it ever was with Blaine. Looking back on all of that, I was desperate. When I met him, I was in a really dark place, maybe darker than you realize because there are things you still don't know." "I'm sure."

"Blaine was this beacon of hope at the time - this bright, shiny, outgoing, out teenage boy. I was like a moth drawn to a flame. It looked like warmth, but it burned. I got burned. Sebastian isn't like that. No, he's not perfect. He doesn't pretend to be. He's more than willing to share his list of negative traits. He and I spend a lot of time actually really talking to each other. We promised from the weekend I went to his house right after he apologized that we wouldn't lie to each other."

"Well, that's a good start."

Kurt nodded. "He's whole. I'm not sure if that makes sense. He's not one-quarter one thing, half something else, and an eighth that, and so on. He is himself. He isn't one person around his mom and then someone different around friends. Or act like a different person when we're alone. He's not trying to be whoever he thinks he needs to be in particular situation."

"I think I get it."

"And maybe some day we'll find something about each other that drives us nuts. But as I see it right now, the things he does that probably annoy people are the same things that I do that annoy people."

"What do you mean?"

"He's a neat freak. This week while I was at work, he steamed the wrinkles out of all of my clothes and his."

Burt laughed.

"He owns a small library. All of the books are organized by language, genre and author's last name. Our closet looks like it belongs in Better Homes and Gardens. You saw the photos."

"Yeah."

"He did that when I was at work. He makes the bed with me. He washes the dishes as soon as the meal is over. He cooks healthy meals. I let him do my laundry."

"Now, there's high praise indeed," Burt chuckled. "I get it."

"We're not identical. There are things he likes that I don't and I'm sure the reverse is true. But none of them are life-altering issues. We've spent five weeks together pretty much 24/7. We've not had a single disagreement that we couldn't settle amicably quickly. We assembled all of that furniture together without yelling at each other."

"Now, there - that's saying something," Burt laughed again. "Some of that stuff makes you wanna swear. It can totally try your patience."

Kurt nodded in agreement.

"Well, I just wanted you to know that I did listen and I'm not going to be the way I was before. I like him. He treats you right. I can see that. And you are so relaxed with him that it's actually weird to see, but good weird. I'm glad you brought him to meet us."

Burt stood up and headed toward the stairs. Kurt followed him.

"Thanks, Dad."

"You two have fun with Carole tomorrow. I'll see you tomorrow evening."

"Good night." Kurt went in the bedroom and shut the door behind him.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt slipped into bed quietly after his shower. Sebastian was lying on his back. Kurt slid over as close as he could and lay on his back as well and gently took Sebastian's hand in his.

"Finally, you're here. I have determined something while you were not in the bed."

"What's that?"

"I don't sleep right if you're not in the bed." Sebastian rolled over toward Kurt and put his head on Kurt's chest. Kurt started running his fingers through Sebastian's hair.

"See, you've worked some kind of spell on me."

"Well, if that's the case, then it's mutual. You notice that I'm never asleep when you come out from your shower, even if you stay in the bathroom forever..."

"Hey, I never spend that much time in the bathroom," he retorted.

"Maybe it just feels that way because I'm the one waiting for you." Kurt tipped Sebastian's head up and kissed him.

"Maybe. Because it sure seems like you've been downstairs and in the bathroom for ages."

"Well, I'm here now."

Sebastian practically starfished him to the bed. "Yep, and I'm not letting you escape," he teased. "I love you too much to ever let you go."

"Shh, my parents are trying to sleep," Kurt tried to say seriously, but was laughing instead.

Sebastian lay back next to him again on his side and Kurt turned to face him and pulled him close and passionately kissed him. "I love you, Bas, so much."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next morning they went to the National Museum of American History. Carole had never ventured into the subway, but she decided that she'd give it a go since Sebastian and Kurt would be with her. Sebastian had packed their travel wallet pouches and Kurt put his stuff into Sebastian's and let Carole wear his and he knew what the next gift he was going to get for her would be.

They thoroughly enjoyed their trip and it gave Carole and Sebastian time to get to know each other better. Kurt knew that their interests were much more similar than Burt and Sebastian's. They got back to the townhouse in time to order pizzas for dinner, which was a big surprise to Burt since he was rarely given the opportunity to enjoy the 'finer' foods in life, as he called them.

They played card games again after they finished their dinner. Burt listened to them talk about all of the things they enjoyed about the museum. And as usual, Kurt won most of the matches.

"Sometimes I think he has x-ray vision," Burt said.

"If I had x-ray vision, I'd use it for something better than cheating at card games," Kurt laughed.

"Next time, I'm bringing the dominoes. At least I have a chance at that," Carole said.

"Oh, so there are games that he doesn't always win at? I need to know these things. Sam and I are always losing. We need some new games that we have a better chance at," Sebastian teased.

"Now, don't give away top secret information, Carole," Kurt admonished teasingly.

"I gotta head to bed, guys. I gotta be in meetings early tomorrow morning. I'm glad you boys came to visit."

Kurt stood up and gave Burt a hug. "Good night, Dad."

Sebastian stood to shake hands, and Burt surprised him by pulling him into a bear hug too. "See you next time."

"Good night, Burt," Sebastian said as Burt left to go upstairs.

"I'm going to take these games up and head to the shower," Sebastian said as he grabbed all the card games.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Carole moved to the living room.

"Oh, honey. He's so sweet. I really like him."

Kurt smiled.

"Your dad likes him too."

"I know. He told me last night. I was surprised, but really glad. I was afraid that Rachel had poisoned his mind ahead of time and that he wouldn't be able to let go of what she had told him. Dad tends to hold grudges."

"Well, I think I can safely say that Rachel is on that list now and not Sebastian. Your dad knows that teenagers do stupid things. Heck, adults do stupid things. But Sebastian sincerely apologized. He treats you so respectfully. It's actually really amazing to see."

"I hope Finn finds someone as caring. I feel sad for him because it's a big loss for him. When I realized what Blaine had done to me, it was heartbreaking. But I really hope that Finn can move past it and find someone who truly loves him. I really will call him and talk to him soon. I'll give him a few days to process what's happened first. I wasn't really ready to talk about it right away. I spent that whole weekend after I broke up with Blaine doing things with Sam and not talking about it at all."

"Puck was at the house killing things with Finn all weekend while his sister spent the weekend with a friend."

"That sounds like a good way to let out his pent up frustrations. He loves blowing things up."

Carole laughed. "I'm glad to see you happy. I can't honestly say that I've ever seen you this relaxed consistently."

"This is the new normal for me. That's why I came down so heavy on the issue of going after Blaine and Rachel. I'm not going to lose myself again. I discovered that I am not the uptight, unreasonable person a lot of people thought I was, including myself sometimes. I was incredibly stressed out and on edge all the time. This is me, the real me, the one that doesn't have to fight to exist. Sebastian doesn't think my habits are ridiculous. He enjoys me. He just likes to be with me. He doesn't try to push me to the background or upstage me. He does things for me just because he wants to. That's been hard for me to accept. That's probably been our biggest struggle. I've had to learn how to accept freely given love. No strings or paybacks."

"It makes me really happy to know that. I'm glad that you and Sam are going to be going to schools that you want to go to. And I'm glad that you have Sebastian now. I will probably be gone by the time you get up in the morning, so stand up so I can give you a hug before I go to bed. I'm really glad that the two of you came this weekend. I hope you have time to come see us every couple of months at least. Maybe when there's a break in Congress, we can come up and visit you guys for a day or two."

"We'd like that," Kurt said as he hugged her back.

"Good night, sweetie."

"Good night."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

This time Kurt showered quickly and starfished Sebastian by surprise.

"Oof. Well, hello to you too!" He grabbed Kurt so he couldn't escape and kissed him soundly.

"Well, you have the Hummel parents' seal of approval."

Sebastian let him go and rolled Kurt over into the little spoon position. He kissed Kurt's shoulder and moved his hand to cover Kurt's heart and said, "That makes me really relieved. Seriously. I mean I knew that you weren't going to leave me if they didn't like me, so don't think that. But I was scared."

Kurt scooted back and squished himself up against Sebastian's chest. "Well, no more worrying."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian had chosen their destination for Tuesday. When they pulled into the parking garage, Kurt still couldn't tell where they were going. After walking a couple of blocks, he saw a huge, colorful modern building.

"An aquarium!" He hugged Sebastian and grabbed his hand and started walking faster.

They both thoroughly enjoyed their visit, but Sebastian enjoyed watching Kurt even more than looking in the tanks.


	22. Chapter 22

"Hey, guys! There's leftovers in the fridge, if you haven't eaten yet."

Kurt walked into the kitchen, washed his hands and put the casserole dish in the oven.

"Thanks."

Sebastian took the duffel to their room and emptied it.

"So, how did it go?" Sam asked.

"It went great," Kurt answered.

Sebastian came in the kitchen, walked up behind Kurt and wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist. "It was interesting for me because Burt didn't act at all like any of the descriptions I had heard."

"Dad took my ultimatum to heart."

"I was expecting him to be stand-offish and somewhat threatening and intimidating."

"Well, yeah," Sam said. "But he wasn't?"

"Not at all," Sebastian replied.

"It was seriously amazing, Sam. It was like he'd been transformed."

"It's about time," Sam said resolutely. "I really like the dude, but his behavior sometimes made me wince. I had to bite my tongue when he'd treat Kurt differently than Finn."

"Anyway, he didn't act like that at all this weekend. Obviously, he had an epiphany. And the other good news is that it seems that the whole 'people from Lima need to mind their own business' issue has been dealt with. Reid and Dad went and confronted Mr. Anderson and presented the audio and video recordings along with a cease and desist letter to him and to the Misters Berry.

They sat and talked about what they had done while they were in DC for a while.

Sam turned around to pull the casserole back out of the oven. "Hey, where did these come from?"

"The aquarium we went to," Sebastian supplied.

"I've been buying cool kitchen items as souvenirs. I thought the three stainless fish trivets would be so much better than continuing to only be able to sit the hot pans on top of the stove."

"Plus, he really liked the way they looked," Sebastian teased. "If there were an aquarium like that here, I'd buy you a membership so you could just sit and watch," he said to Kurt.

"Yeah, you are like super zen watching the fish," Sam added.

"I know. There's just something so relaxing about it."

Sebastian took a bite of the casserole and said, "Dinner's great. Thanks for cooking for us after we ditched you all weekend."

"Well, I didn't particularly enjoy being alone so much, since I've never really spent much time alone, it's weird. But I did finish the painting. Wanna see?"

Sam went in his room and brought the painting back out to the kitchen.

"Sam, it's beautiful," Kurt said.

Sebastian just stared at it intently with slightly watery eyes. "It really is."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt finished hanging the painting directly opposite the painting that Sam had given him for his birthday. This one he had commissioned for Sebastian. He sent Sam one of the photos he had taken looking out Sebastian's apartment, where he had seen Sebastian stand and gaze out many times and asked him to paint the scene.

" _It's like a small part of Paris is here. It's really great. Thank you._ "

" _I'm glad you like it._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Hey, Kurt!" Sam called out from his room.

Kurt came out of the bedroom. "Yeah?"

"I forgot to tell you that a box came for you yesterday. It's on the coffee table."

Kurt went over to the coffee table and realized what the box contained. "Come try your uniforms on. You need to make sure they fit right so I can sent them back if they don't and still have time to get the new sizes before school starts." Kurt quickly slipped the packing slip out of the box, folded it and put it in his pocket quickly.

Sam took the box to his room and came out a few minutes later wearing the slacks and one of the short-sleeved shirts.

While Kurt was standing there, he realized that there was a gaming system sitting on the sideboard.

"Yeah. I feel a bit weird in them, but these fit fine. I'll go grab the jacket and put it on too."

"Sam?"

He paused before leaving the room. "Yeah?"

"Where'd the Xbox come from?"

"Oh, it came in the mail today. Carole sent it. I guess Finn got a new one and had her send me the one he had before. Now all I need is a TV and my own copy of COD and I can play with the guys again online."

He left and came back wearing the jacket and said, "The sleeves on the jacket are nice and long. Seeing myself in this makes me really realize that it's all going to be so different this year. This is my fourth high school. And no Glee Club. It will be really different."

"I hope you like it there."

"Even if I don't make a lot of new friends or anything, it's going to be better than McKinley because I'll get to take art classes McKinley doesn't offer and most importantly, I'll graduate."

Sam went back into his room. Kurt noticed that there were two envelopes lying on the table as well. He picked them up and took them back to the bedroom.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt sat down on the bed next to Sebastian and handed Sebastian his envelope.

" _So, this is it._ "

" _It is._ "

" _It seems like we took these tests ages ago. I actually went from dreading taking them to being excited because you kept coming to Dalton and I got to spend time with you,_ " Sebastian admitted, leaning over to kiss Kurt gently.

" _Well, I looked forward to see you too. I was enjoying getting to know you._ " Kurt kissed him again.

" _So, shall we?_ "

They opened their envelopes and pulled out their reports. They each looked through their own. Kurt offered his to Sebastian and they switched.

" _We did it._ "

" _We did._ "

" _I'm stunned. I worked really hard, but seeing the scores makes it real._ "

Kurt took a picture of his scores and texted them to his dad and to Carole. Seeing Kurt's actions made Sebastian do the same. He wasn't used to sharing things with his dad, but since his dad had been making an effort to be a part of his life, he needed to try harder to share things with him. Kurt got two texts back quickly congratulating him and Sebastian got one back from his dad. He knew it would be a while before he heard back from his mom due to the time difference.

Kurt picked Sebastian's letter and envelope up off the bed and moved it to his desk and placed his own on his desk as well. He returned to the bed and tackled Sebastian, rolling him onto his side, kissing him deeply and said, " _This calls for a celebration._ "

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Over the next few weeks, Sam continued working his regular shift and taking any extra morning shifts that he was offered. He also worked to complete the required summer activities for his new school, like the online SAT prep course.

Sebastian and Kurt started a routine of visiting all of the nearby antique stores, flea markets, and secondhand stores. Kurt had exhausted his gift cards and they were still in need of kitchen items. So, rather than just go out and buy them at retail price, they decided to get to know the town and go out exploring. Within a few weeks time, they had found pretty much all of the things they needed like knives, canisters, bakeware, mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, a blender, a food processor, spice racks, and all sorts of kitchen gadgets for next to nothing and they had a lot of fun together.

On mornings when it was raining or they just didn't feel like going out, Kurt got out his sewing machine and worked on projects like the pillows using the fabric he had bought in London, or they spent time reading together and dancing if Sam was at work, or sometimes helping Sam with his summer school-related requirements. Sam had bought a TV after he got his second paycheck and a used copy of COD. He had missed playing with Finn, Puck and Artie more than he had realized. Kurt was glad to see him having fun again. Getting the Xbox eliminated the need to buy a DVD player too, which helped Kurt's budget.

Since he didn't have to repay anyone for the furniture, Kurt splurged on a grill for their patio, then put back money from his pay checks into a savings account. He secretly decided that he wanted to go back to France the next summer, but he didn't want someone else to have to pay for his ticket. He knew that if he budgeted well, that he'd be able to afford it. He called the university and set up a meeting for the beginning of August to discuss his course planning.

Sebastian spent the time he had alone reading and writing. He had given up writing when he left France. He felt like he had nothing to write about in Ohio. But with his new life, the desire to write had come back. He went to the Yale campus a few times and spent time getting to know where everything was. He wanted to feel confident when the school year started. He also scoured the course catalog and made an advance appointment with his academic advisor to talk about his best options.

Sam went to the evaluations and he was officially diagnosed with dyslexia. He got a 504 plan allowing him additional time on written tests and Mr. Donovan, the counselor at the school, helped him to file the official request for additional time on the SAT since that had to be completed far in advance of taking the test. The resource teacher, Mrs. Dixon's part of the plan included focusing on SAT prep and test taking skills for the first two months of the school year. The focus would then change to college prep.

The month of July passed with Sam and Kurt working as much as they could and Sebastian doing the housework and shopping as his contribution to their household. They spent their evenings reading, writing, painting, drawing, creating, sewing or whatever came to mind that they didn't have to spend money to do. Kurt and Sam knew that their work hours would decrease dramatically once school started and they were trying to save up as much as possible while they had the opportunity to do so.

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"Mr. Hummel, please come in and have a seat. My name is Alicia Myers. I'm your academic advisor. You've come in quite early. I don't usually start seeing new students at the beginning of August."

Kurt sat down as asked. "Well, I'm probably not the typical student," he laughed. "I tend to overplan. Sorry for my appearance. I came straight from work."

"Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Preparation is always good."

"I would never have gotten out of the very unpleasant town I grew up in if I hadn't overplanned."

"I understand. You're not the first student coming to university to escape a life they wanted to get away from."

"I came to discuss my AP Exam scores and how I might best utilize my time. I've considered using the credits to speed up my graduation, but I've also considered using them to free up my semesters and take fewer courses at a time."

"Each of those ideas has merit. I pulled your high school transcript and AP scores before you came and looked through them. You are quite the overachiever. You took AP Exams for courses that your high school did not offer?"

"I prepared for them on my own. The private school I went to my junior year placed me into AP courses based on testing I had to take the week I enrolled. I enjoyed the classes and the high school I returned to offered nothing challenging. So, I was in the most advanced courses that were offered, but they were below the level of the courses I had taken the year before. I know a lot of people think that sounds like fun - super easy courses that you don't have to work hard in to get an A, but to me that's really boring. I enjoy learning."

"Well, I think you have probably answered your own question. If you take fewer courses, I think that you will feel unchallenged from what you've said about yourself. But you mentioned that you work."

"Yes, but I also worked in high school. I've worked since I was 16. I worked less my junior year because the school I went to was a boarding school and I was only home on weekends, which was only occasionally at first because I had so much work to catch up on when I first enrolled. But second semester I was there from the beginning so I didn't have the catch up work to do and I did go home on weekends a lot more frequently and I worked then."

"So, working and going to school is the norm for you."

"Yes."

"As you've seen our program is a 4-year program that consists of courses with varying numbers of credits. It's not like a traditional college program where you take five 3-credit courses per semester. But with very careful planning, you could graduate in three years instead of four since you have credit for eight classes in the general education portion of your degree. You'd need to take a course each Winter Term and take courses in the summer as well."

"Is there a possibility that those summer courses could be taken overseas? Like in Paris?"

"That's a very specific request."

"Well, my boyfriend and I are both French American and his mother and extended family and my extended family live in France. I was thinking that there might be the possibility of taking a course or two there over the summer. I'm hoping that we will be spending the summers there."

"I see. Well, yes, you could take a couple of courses overseas. The details would have to be worked out in advance through our overseas studies office. You can call them and make an appointment to discuss your options."

"Great."

"So, back to your potential courses. As you've seen the coursework for your major has quite a few classes that are sequential. If you are seriously considering completing the program in three years, we will need to plan that from the very beginning. So, I don't want to rush you, but do you think that's what you want to do?"

"If I choose to slow the pace down later, that would be an option, right?"

"Yes. But trying to fit it all in without starting with a solid plan probably will not work."

"Well, that's why I came in early - to get a plan started. So, yes, let's arrange my schedule for this semester with the premise of me graduating in three years. If it's too tough, I will reconsider my options later."

They spent the rest of the hour of his appointment selecting his courses and he left with exactly what he needed for the day he could actually enroll in the courses in a few weeks.

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Kurt went back the apartment to have lunch with Sebastian. He had traded for the early shift so that he could go with Sebastian to New Haven for the afternoon. Kurt showed Sebastian his course list and talked about what he had discussed with his advisor.

"So, you want to graduate early?"

"Yeah. Do you think it would be possible for you to finish early?"

"Well, I'd never really thought about it. But I can ask my advisor this afternoon."

The trip to New Haven was enjoyable. Kurt and Sebastian walked around on campus for a while before his appointment.

"You can come in with me if you want."

"I don't want to intrude or interrupt. I'll just wait out here in the lobby and read."

Sebastian kissed him and went down the hall to his advisor's office. He came back about an hour later. The two of them left the building hand in hand.

"How did it go?"

"Fine. She says that I can graduate in three years, but it's a complicated like the answer you were given. But if it's really what we want to set as a goal, it is doable."

"Well, that's good. What else did you find out?"

"Well, I'll be skipping all of the intermediate language courses and starting in the advanced courses. I can start in the literature courses this fall. So, I'm going to take three lit courses, Spanish, French and English. I'm getting the math requirement out of the way. There's no point in putting it off and forgetting more. I'll take a history class. There are several options for that one as well. And one more class that I haven't chosen yet. I'll just have to see what's available when I register."

"Sounds good. At least you'll like four out of your six classes and maybe five out of six."

"Why have you been thinking about graduating in three years?"

"I'll explain, but not now, okay?"

"Okay. Do you want to head back to Hartford or hang around here for a while?"

"Whatever you want. I just want to be with you. I've been working a lot and I miss being with you."

"Let's go to the bookstore before we leave. I want to get a new book to read," Sebastian said.

"Sounds good." Kurt took his hand and they set off for the bookstore.

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They decided to take scenic route back to Hartford. Along the way, they stopped at a farmer's produce stand and bought some beautiful vegetables and went back to the apartment to prep a large chopped dinner salad with their purchases.

Kurt grilled some chicken pieces while Sebastian cooked some turkey bacon. They prepped 2 different homemade salad dressings as well. By the time Sam got home from camp, they had everything plated and ready to eat and stored the leftovers for lunches the next day.

"What about taking Philipe to that place went to the weekend after you guys came back from DC? That karaoke place was pretty fun. Does he like to sing?"

"He's not much of a singer, but he'd still go with us," Sebastian answered.

"I was thinking maybe we could head to the beach while he's here. Maybe we can all get a hotel room. Let's find out when Jeff, Nick, and Thad are going to be arriving," Kurt said.

"That's good idea. But we could go to the beach even if they aren't around yet," Sebastian said.

"I keep forgetting how close to the beach we are here. I still have a landlocked mindset," Kurt said laughing.

"Me too," Sam said.

"I think we need to know what his plan is before we make any plans. We need to find out if he's set up appointments or if there potential student events or something," Kurt said.

"I'll text him and get him to email me his plans," Sebastian offered.

"Good deal," Sam said. "We could go back to that karaoke place ourselves though. That was pretty fun."

"How about Saturday evening?" Kurt suggested. "Friday nights aren't good for me to stay out since I have to be up so early Saturday."

"That's fine with me," Sam said. Sebastian just nodded in agreement.

"So, this week is your last week at camp?" Kurt asked.

"No, next week is the last week. It ends the 10th. Then, there's a 2-week break and school starts that next week. I've been saving up the money from my extra hours to cover that time off though."

"Once you figure out what Philipe's already got planned, I will do my best to trade with someone to get a couple of full days off while he is here so we can all go somewhere. I'm going to start researching places along the coast and see what I can find."

An hour later, Sebastian had heard back from Philipe and the three of them started their planning in earnest.

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Almost a week and a half later, Sebastian went to pick Philipe up from the airport in the early afternoon on the 10th. When they got to the apartment, Sam and Kurt were both still at work. Philipe unpacked his stuff in Sam's room, which he had no problem sharing. He was used to bunking with guys after spending a year at boarding school. He took a shower and opted for a short nap before Sam and Kurt got home. Sebastian made dinner while Philipe slept.

They all sat down to dinner after Kurt and Sam came home. They discussed the plans that Sebastian had made and made sure that nothing conflicted with Philipe's school tour plans. He had made arrangements to tour Brown, Yale and NYU early the following week. Kurt had only managed to get Monday off the following week, but he also managed to switch an afternoon shift for an early morning shift on Thursday.

The weekend plan was to leave Saturday as soon as Kurt got off and drive to New York. Philipe's parents were paying for a hotel for Saturday and Sunday nights. They planned to do sightseeing on Saturday late afternoon and evening and Sunday. Philipe would go on his school tour on Monday and then they'd drive back late that afternoon. Philipe was scheduled to visit Brown on Tuesday and Yale on Wednesday. He was scheduled to fly back the following Sunday morning.

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Saturday, Kurt was home just long enough to shower, change, grab his lunch before he hopped in the backseat of Sebastian's car and they hit the road for New York. Two and a half hours later, they were pulling up to their hotel and the valet took the car to the parking area. They checked in and left their bags in their room.

When they left the hotel, they opted for walking through Central Park and going to the High Line. They enjoyed the people watching and just walking around and seeing the sights.

Sunday they got up early and headed out in search of the famed cronuts and coffee.

They arrived at the American Museum of Natural History right before it opened. The museum was Philipe and Sam's choice of destination. Both of them loved the Night at the Museum movie, plus all of them liked visiting museums. All four of them enjoyed seeing the dinosaurs and all of the exhibits.

After they left the museum, they went to the New York Public Library at Sebastian's request. The last part of their itinerary was to explore 5th Avenue shopping and Rockefeller Center.

Monday morning, Philipe and Sebastian headed off to NYU and Kurt and Sam headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. After lunch, they met up at the Museum of Modern Art. When the museum closed, they looked around for a place to grab something to eat before heading back to Hartford.

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That night after they had showered and gotten into bed, Sebastian brought up their stay in New York.

" _Did you have a good time?_ "

" _Yes. Being with the three of you is a lot of fun._ "

" _You were pretty quiet on the way back._ "

" _Just thinking. What did Philipe think of NYU?_ "

" _Honestly, he wasn't that impressed. It's one of the top schools, but he just couldn't see the point of spending $65,000 a year at attend. He liked the program and what it offered, but to be honest, I'm betting that he's going to choose to go to school in England or France in the end._ "

" _Why?_ "

" _He's grown up with frugal parents and with Mamie and Papi. His parents have invested and are willing to use the money to pay for him to go to school here if that's what he wants, but they've also offered to give him the money to start his own business once he graduates if he goes to school in the UK or France._ "

Kurt looked confused.

" _Tuition in the UK, even at the most expensive place is under $10,000 a year. It's practically free to go to college in France._ "

" _Seriously?_ "

" _It's not even $500 a year to attend college in France for French citizens._ "

" _Why on earth is your dad spending a small fortune to send you to Yale then? Why didn't you just go back to Paris and go to college there?_ "

" _That was my parents' agreement._ "

" _I remember you telling me. But why is it so important that you go to Yale that your dad would spend nearly $200,000 on tuition alone when you could have gotten a degree in France for free, more or less?_ "

" _Tradition. His grandfather, his father, him, now me._ "

" _I'm not going to be able wrap my head around that._ "

" _I always assumed that there was something really amazing about Yale that made it so important, but I've spent quite a few afternoons there and it's just a place, like any other place. I've been thinking about it. I think that it must be more about the connections that they formed there. All of them joined the same fraternity and the network of the legacies continues from generation to generation._ "

" _But your dad let you break that legacy. He let you move in here with me._ "

" _He did. But remember, by then, he had started to see Dr. Morris. His outlook was changing already. He and Mom had been talking. He saw me happy and he wanted that for me._ "

Kurt scooted closer to Sebastian and curled up into his side. " _I'm really glad he did. I'm so glad you're here with me._ "

" _Me too. Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to going to Yale. I really just wanted to go back home. But being here with you makes having to go to the school my dad chose for me tolerable._ "

Kurt looked up, concerned.

" _I didn't mean that being with you is only tolerable, you ninny._ " He gently tilted Kurt's head up, stroked his cheek gently, and kissed him. " _Being here with you is exactly what I want. And Yale is a school that offers good classes. So, I tolerate my dad's request, and I'm not miserable because the rest of the time I get to be here with you._ "

Kurt kissed him. " _In the car, I was thinking about something from earlier this morning. You and Philipe headed out a lot earlier than the museum opened, so I asked Sam to go with me to the NYADA campus. There were summer classes going on so we stopped outside some of the classrooms and watched or listened. One classroom we stopped outside of was a dance studio. It was obviously an introductory level course that students were repeating from the regular school year. The instructor was a very fit, 30-something blonde woman. She was barking out orders and calling the students by quite derogatory nicknames like 'thunder thighs' and 'muffin top'. I didn't hear her call a single student by a real name. She didn't say a single positive thing unless you consider 'at least you didn't knock anyone over that time' something positive._ "

" _Sounds awful._ "

" _She was like a younger version of Sue Sylvester. It made me sort of afraid for the school year to start. If the most prestigious Broadway training school treats their students like that, what am I facing in a few weeks? I certainly hope it's not that. I know I'm not the best at anything, but being berated constantly will be really hard to take._ "

" _She doesn't sound like a very good instructor._ "

" _Well, the public shaming method is quite effective of getting people to improve._ "

" _But it's not an effective way to teach._ "

" _Well, my experience with effective teachers spans the course of the five months that I spent at Dalton. That was the only place I have ever been where teachers actually cared if students learned, or well, just cared in general. So, seeing that level of antagonistic behavior from an instructor in a top-notch school was disheartening._ "

" _I can understand that._ "

" _I guess they can weed out the weak that way. Rachel wouldn't last long in that environment. Maybe that's what the letter was about in a way. Madame Tibideaux said that Rachel's behavior indicated that she was a spoiled princess, not in those exact words, of course. She basically told Rachel to grow up before she reapplied. Maybe that type of instruction is to weed out students like Rachel who don't listen. But since they take so few students each year, it seems like a lousy method. I'm honestly just glad that I'm not facing that there and I really hope that I'm not facing it here. I want to learn, but I don't want to be treated like trash while in class._ "

Sebastian leaned out and turned off the lamp by the bed and slid down in the bed on his side. Kurt slid down as well and curled into Sebastian's chest. " _Enough of that talk. It pushes you back into a dark place you've nearly escaped from. You are amazing. You are the love of my life. I won't have anyone treat you that way, even if that person is an instructor. There's no reason to demean people in an effort to instruct them. I love you, mon ange._ " Sebastian started kissing him gently and as Kurt relaxed, the intensity built, then returned to the gentleness that Kurt found so comforting. Sebastian urged him to turn over and he pulled Kurt close into his chest. He placed soft kisses on Kurt's neck and held him until they fell asleep.

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Sam took Kurt to work the next morning so that he could keep the Navigator to do the shopping for the week since they had been gone all weekend. Sebastian drove Philipe to Brown for the day. Sam was waiting in the shop parking lot for Kurt when he got off at 6:00.

"I'm beat," Kurt said as he got in the Navigator. "All that walking all weekend and then working 11 hours today. I'm ready to crash."

"Well, let's at least go home and eat first. I made salads and a pie."

"Then drive on, good sir. Pie awaits," Kurt laughed.

"Have you heard from Puck lately?" Sam asked.

"Actually he texted me this afternoon. You too?"

"Yep. He got that apartment. He sent me a photo."

"Yeah, me too. It's great that he managed to get his own place. Dad told me that he hasn't called out at all and he's been taking extra shifts when people wanted off for vacation days. He said he's gonna start training to do other stuff so he can get more hours."

"Do you talk to Finn much?"

"I talked to him after he and Rachel broke up. It was few days after we came back from DC. He was pretty down. When he had sent you that XBox after we came back from DC, I was surprised because he's supposed to be working to pay my dad back. But when I talked him, he said Carole bought him the new XBox to cheer him up. I love her, but she spoils him. I hope he can turn things around for himself."

"Yeah, I usually talk to him while we're shooting things, but mostly he's just sitting at home a lot these days. He needs to get out of the house."

Kurt's phone pinged with a text from Sebastian. "By the time we get home and I shower, Sebastian and Philipe should be back."

"Cool. I'll get the food out and plated so we can eat soon. I'm hungry. It's hard not to snack on everything when I'm prepping the food."

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They opted for a movie after dinner. And despite the fact that it wasn't Kurt's favorite and that he had seen it at least three times, they watched Avatar. Sam had somehow found out that Sebastian had never seen it. Philipe enjoyed watching it because of his interest in filmmaking. The special effects were what really interested him and that encouraged Sam to make everyone sit through the special features. It wasn't really that much of a chore for Sebastian or Kurt because they curled up together on the couch and snuggled through them.

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Wednesday was very similar to Tuesday, except that Sebastian drove Philipe to Yale for the day. Kurt and Sam had dinner waiting for them. Over dinner they discussed their plans for the beach the next day.

"So, I found this place called 'Misquamicut'. It has a small amusement park and water slides, mini golf, a drive-in, a highly rated seafood restaurant. Oh, and of course, the beach itself."

"A drive-in what?" Philipe asked.

Sam answered, "Oh, it's a drive-in movie theater. Everyone parks in a big lot and they project the movie onto an outdoor screen."

"I've seen those in old movies. Sounds fun."

"So, you'll need to wear swim trunks if you don't want to wear wet clothes all day. I'll bring sunblock," Kurt said.

"I didn't bring any swim trunks," Philipe said.

"You can wear a pair of mine," Sebastian got up and got a pair and brought them back and handed them to Philipe.

"I get off at 11:00 and we'll leave as soon after that as we can."

"Sounds good, but we found something cool to do tonight. Let's clean up and get going," Sam said.

"Where are we going?" Kurt asked.

"You'll see," Sebastian said.

Kurt looked at Philipe who just shrugged his shoulders.

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"Nomad's Adventure Quest? Sounds promising." Kurt said.

They went inside and it was a lot more than promising. It was totally cool. None of them had ever been to a place like it before.

"Remember when I said Lima needed a Buzz Lightyear ride?"

Sebastian nodded.

"If I wanted to live in Lima and run a business, this would be EXACTLY what I would open. People would come from all around to a place like this. I'm going to tell Finn and Puck about this. If they want to continue to live in Lima, they could see if this business offers franchises or if some other company like it does. They could totally get a business like this up and running there."

Sam said, "You're right. Everyone would want to go. This is awesome. We picked this place because it said they had laser tag, so that's what we're going to play tonight since we got here pretty late in the evening. We'll have to come back some time and do some of the other stuff, like bowling and wall climbing."

They bought a card to share and used it for laser tag. They looked all around the place while they waited until their game time and suited up. They played against three other teams of four.

They got inside the playing area and took off to shoot their competition. Sam found Kurt a few minutes later, hiding behind a rock shooting people.

"Hey, you're just camping."

"Camping?"

"Yeah, just hiding and sniping people."

"It's effective."

"Yeah, but boring," Sam teased as he ran off into the fray again.

A few minutes later, Sebastian found Kurt. "Sam told me you were over here camping." He leaned over and kissed Kurt.

"You're distracting me from shooting the enemy."

"You're so competitive," he laughed and moved to stand behind Kurt and kiss him on the neck instead.

"You're still distracting me... but don't stop."

Sebastian laughed again and kissed him a few more times before running off to shoot more people. He found Philipe and they attempted to block each other's back from other people while shooting randomly around the room.

Even though none of them had played before, they did relatively well and came in third overall. But Kurt came in first on accuracy.

"I didn't realize that we would be ranked based on how many times we shot versus how many times we hit someone. Next time, I'll have to try to be more accurate and not shoot willy nilly. I just thought whoever got the most hits would win," Sebastian said.

"Well, live and learn." Philipe said.

"We've got enough points left on our card to jump in the bounce house. Wanna try it?" Sam asked.

"Sure," Kurt answered. "I've seen them on TV shows, but I've never jumped in one. It always looked like fun."

They waited for their turn in the bounce house. Kurt showed off his pike jumps. He didn't dare try anything else because he didn't want to get in trouble.

They came out of the bounce house and got their shoes back on.

"That was surprisingly fun and tiring," Philipe said. Everyone agreed.

"I say we find a place to get ice cream on the way home," Sam said. "I miss going out to Dairy Barn." Kurt smiled and nodded.

Sebastian pulled his phone out and did a search. "Let's go to this place. It's called Froyoworld."

"Sounds perfect. That's what Kurt and I always got a the Dairy Barn."

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They all got out and went inside.

"Oh my God. It's a frozen yogurt buffet!" Kurt said. Sebastian smiled when he saw how excited Kurt was.

"At Dairy Barn we'd get like three choices sometimes. Vanilla or chocolate and a fruit option sometimes," Sam said.

"There are toppings, too," Sebastian pointed out.

"This is the best place ever," Kurt said in awe. He walked up and down both sides of the shop just looking at all of the options. "I don't even know what to pick."

One of the employees walked up to him. "First time here?" Kurt nodded. The employee handed him a stack of really tiny paper cups. "These are for samples, so you can decide which one you want."

Kurt took the cups. "Thank you," he said politely. He walked over to the machines and used his cups to try four different flavors.

Everyone made their yogurt choices and moved on to the toppings. "This was a great find. I'm going to have to be careful or I will spend half of my food money coming here," Kurt said.

"I'm glad you like it so much. Let's go sit and eat it here," Sebastian suggested.

Sam and Philipe moved away from the cashier and went to find a table. When Kurt got up to get more napkins, Sam said, "Well, now we know what to tell Burt and Carole that they can get for Kurt."

"Definitely," Sebastian said.

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Sam, Sebastian, and Philipe packed sandwiches, fruit and drinks to take with them for later. They also made lunch and ate it while Kurt was at work. They had packed Kurt's lunch in his lunch bag and had it ready for him to eat in the car on the trip. Kurt was in and out in a flash and hopped into the back seat with Sam and they took off for the beach.

They pulled into the crowded lot, but managed to find an open spot. It was a hot, sunny day, but the water was cool and they had a great time chasing each other around and splashing each other. Although Sam was the only one visiting the ocean for the first time, none of them had been to the Atlantic before. They decided to skip the water park because it was pretty crowded with a group of kids in matching t-shirts, obviously from a local summer camp. They opted to go out for a late lunch to avoid the dinner crowd later. Each of them ordered something completely different off the menu and shared all of it. They got extra plates and served themselves family style.

After eating, they went back out onto the beach and sat around talking for a while. While most people were at dinner, they played through a round of mini-golf which Philipe did quite well at beating all of them by five strokes.

By the time they finished up with the mini-golf game, it was starting to get dark out and they went to get a spot at the drive-in. When they got there, they found out the movie for the evening was _Ghostbusters_.

Philipe asked Sam to go with him to the concessions stand. "I want the full experience. Let's go buy some kind of drive-in junk food." Sam went with him, leaving Kurt and Sebastian in the backseat together.

Sebastian startled Kurt by climbing into his lap. He tipped Kurt's chin up started kissing him.

"Mmm. Now, I'm wondering how much Philipe really wanted junk food," Kurt teased.

"Well, earlier, I may have told him that I wanted the full drive-in movie theater experience of making out with my hot boyfriend in the backseat of my car."

"I see. Well, then let's get back to it, shall we?" And the kissing resumed, nothing really intense, just light gentle kisses. Sebastian knew that Kurt was still leery of a lot of PDA in crowded areas, so after a couple of minutes, he slid off Kurt's lap and just snuggled up next to him and they talked while they waited for Sam and Philipe to come back. Not too much later, they returned with a super large order of fries that they split, along with eating the food they had packed while they watched the movie.

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Kurt was glad that he didn't have to be at work until 10:00 the next morning. They had gotten back from the beach really late and by the time he and Sebastian had showered to get rid of all of the sand and had gotten in bed, it was really late. He woke up and realized that Sebastian was already awake, but hadn't moved from his position as the little spoon - they way they had fallen asleep last night.

Sebastian could sense that Kurt had awakened and he turned onto his back and Kurt put his head on his chest. "You know you don't have to just lay there bored, you could wake me up or get up, if you wanted to," Kurt said softly, as his traced patterns on Sebastian's chest.

" _Nope, not a chance. You holding me like that is much better than anything I could get up and do._ " He started singing, "...I know a place that's safe and warm from the crowd, into your arms. Into your arms, I can go..."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

When Kurt got home from work, he showered and changed quickly and went back out to the living room to see what the other three were up to.

"Where did all the games come from?"

"Ah, well we hit up the local Goodwill and bought up the good games for like $2 each," Sam answered.

"Good deal. I see that box of double 12 dominoes over there, Mr. Smythe. I know what you think you're going to do," Kurt laughed and climbed onto Sebastian's lap, pinning him in place and attempting to grab the dominoes that he had slid behind his back.

"Dominoes, what dominoes?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"Bring it!" Kurt said laughing and moved to sit next to Sebastian, who attempted to keep him from getting up.

"That spot was just fine," Sebastian said.

"Not if you don't want me to see your dominoes, it won't be."

"Maybe we don't need to play dominoes after all," he teased, but let Kurt up after a quick peck.

"So, it's a game night is it? Doesn't seem fair to poor Philipe since he's probably never seen some of these games before," Kurt said disingenuously.

"Now, now, we all know you don't have one bit of sympathy for poor Philipe. You'll destroy him just as easily as the two of us because you're heartless," Sam said.

"Don't listen to them Philipe. It's not true," Kurt said with an overly sweet tone. "I'll take pity on you and we can play in teams for the games you've never played before." His tone changed quickly to one of imminent defeat for the opposition. "Me and you against the two of them."

"That seems reasonable," Philipe laughed as Sam and Sebastian both pouted because neither of them was chosen to be on Team Kurt.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After a couple of hours of amicable game play, they fired up the grill and made burgers and veggie kabobs. Sam had made homemade sorbet for them for dessert. They ate and cleaned everything up and moved back to the living room.

"More games or video games or a movie?" Kurt asked.

"You hate Xbox games," Sam said.

"That doesn't mean that you and Philipe can't play for a while if you want. Sebastian and I can read and come back out and play more board games in a little while or watch a movie."

"Nah." Sam said. "Let's just play some more card games. Losing builds character, right Sebastian?"

"Yeah. You and I are going to have 'character' the size of Texas soon," Sebastian joked.

"Maybe we should just give him a handicap, like in golf," Philipe offered.

"You mean like give him extra cards?" Sam asked.

"Only if that would make it harder for him to win," Philipe answered.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

In bed that night, Kurt and Sebastian were talking about Philipe's visit.

" _Philipe seems to be having a good time. I wish he didn't have to go so soon. I can tell how much you like having him here._ "

" _Yeah, if I could think of a way for him to stay here that would work, it would be fun. I'm about 99% certain that he's going go to college in France. He seems to be pretty certain that it's not worth the expense of going to college here. He'd rather my aunt and uncle give him the money to start his own company when he graduates and stay in France for school._ "

" _I completely understand. I'd make the same choice. I did. Sort of in reverse. I chose to go where I could get a degree without a lifetime of debt. A long-term financial choice. He's doing the same thing._ "

" _Mmm hmm._ "

" _It just happens that my choice of schools and you, mon choix, co-exist, which is totally awesome for me._ "

" _For me too._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt walked in from work to find everyone waiting for him with a picnic lunch packed ready to go.

"I'll be quick." He was back in ten minutes in shorts, a t-shirt and chucks to match the totally casual way everyone else was dressed. He was met by only Sebastian when he came back out to the living room. He was greeted with a big hug and quite a few affectionate kisses.

"I missed you. Let's go," he said as he grabbed Kurt's hand and led him out the door to the car. He and Sebastian got in the backseat, with Sebastian sitting in the middle so he could sit right next to Kurt. Sam pulled out of the parking spot.

"Where I am being abducted to?"

Sam was the one to answer. "Well, yesterday the board games weren't the only thing we found at Goodwill. We also found some disc golf Frisbees. So, this morning while you were at work, we found the best place around here to go try them out. It's a place called Wickham Park. It's a private park, but it's like $5 per car to get in. So, that's where we're headed."

"Sounds fun. I've never played disc golf before."

"None of us have," Sebastian said.

"Plus, the park looks really nice on the website. So, we're having a picnic too," Sam said.

"I hope we're eating first. Breakfast was like six hours ago."

Sebastian pulled a banana out of the picnic basket, one of his and Kurt's inexpensive finds at a local second hand store. Kurt wolfed it down in four bites. "Better," Kurt said.

Fifteen minutes later, they had paid their entrance fee and parked near some picnic tables. Kurt got out of the backseat and declared himself to tired to walk and Sam put him on his back and piggy backed him over to the tables.

Philipe hung back and helped Sebastian get the picnic basket and other stuff out of the car.

" _Doesn't it bother you that he hangs all over Sam like that?_ "

" _Nope. Not a bit. If they were going to be involved, it would have happened ages ago. They've known each other for nearly two years. That's when Sam moved to Ohio. Sam is the first person who ever treated Kurt with dignity. He is loyal and loves Kurt. I would never take that away from Kurt and there's zero jealousy on my part. Kurt and Sam are like me and you. Sam is Kurt's family now. Kurt has a recovering homophobe for a stepbrother and no other siblings or cousins that he grew up around. They endured having to have a secret friendship for a year and a half because Kurt protected Sam from being tormented by the local homophobes because where he came from people acted like Kurt could turn people gay and anyone who associated with him on a one-on-one basis got labeled gay too. The fact that they can openly be friends now is what Kurt deserves. Sam's no threat to me._ "

"Hey, guys," Kurt yelled. "Bring the food. I'm starving."

"Coming," Sebastian answered back. " _The only time I feel left out is with some of their jokes. Sam is a huge sci fi geek and he's invested a lot of time educating Kurt in his geek ways and Kurt has done the same by teaching Sam all things musical theater and classic movies. So, when they get started talking about stuff like that I get lost, which sometimes makes me feel like I'm on the outside, but they both take the time to try to explain things. He's a good guy._ "

" _I get it,_ " Philipe said as the walked to the picnic table.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"That was so much fun. I totally suck at it, but that was so much fun," Kurt said on the ride back home.

"We'll have to go back some time and check out the other stuff there," Sam said.

"So, we're headed out to karoake tonight right?" Kurt asked. "Unless you guys changed the plan this morning when I was at work."

"Nope, no plan changes," Sam said.

"Well, I need another shower," Kurt said. Everyone agreed.

"So, we all get ready and we'll leave in an hour." Sebastian stated as they walked into the apartment.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian was talking to Philipe on the way to the karaoke place, "This place is a little different than most karaoke bars. It alternates between singing with a live band and a karaoke system. So, it's really a lot of fun to watch the people who sing with the band because the band seems to give them this whole other persona, like they're rock stars."

"Sounds interesting. Are you three going to sing?"

"Definitely," Kurt answered.

"Yep," Sam agreed.

"Possibly," Sebastian added.

About 20 minutes later, they were seated and had ordered drinks and some nachos to share. Kurt and Sam had signed up to sing. First up was Sam.

He got up and spoke to the band to make sure they had the right key. Then he borrowed an unused guitar and stepped up to the mic and introduced himself. "I'm Sam and I'm going to sing "Billionaire". He sailed through the song and earned a rousing round of applause. He bowed slightly and went back to their table.

"You know, I heard about that, but I wasn't included in your pre-audition audition for Glee."

"Yeah, I realized that when I walked into the room for my first actual meeting and there you were. And after class, you were really welcoming, if not just a bit scary."

"Moi, scary? You were the big bad quarterback."

"It was before. Well, never mind. Anyway, you owe me a duet. And I learned my part this week while they were out gallivanting around the east coast and you were at work."

"Alright then. Did you sign us up?"

"Yep."

"How about you Sebastian? Will you sing with me? We can reprise our duet from that night we sang for our grandparents."

Sebastian about choked from laughing. "I'm game if you are. You have to ham it up though like you did at Disneyland."

"Fine, fine. I'll go sign us up to sing."

About 15 minutes later, it was Sam and Kurt's turn. Sebastian and Philipe were quite shocked to see them pull off a Freddie Mercury and David Bowie "Under Pressure" duet. They finished to a loud round of applause.

Kurt slid back in next to Sebastian, who pulled him close and whispered in his ear, "Oh, my God, that was hot. The show tunes were fun and that classical music you sang for our grandparents was lovely, but that was hot." Kurt blushed and leaned into Sebastian.

"I did Mellancamp once in Glee."

"I would have paid good money to see that, but it was before my time," Sam said.

"I think I shocked everyone so much that no one managed to pull out their phones to record it either."

The next performer on stage was in full costume. Top hat, tails, platform boots, and make up. He introduced himself as Starchild. He belted out an outstanding version of "Marry the Night".

"I have to meet him," Kurt said getting up from the table. "I'll be right back." He moved close to the stage so he could introduce himself when the man came down the steps.

"That was amazing," Kurt said offering his hand to Starchild. "I'm Kurt," he said as they shook hands. "Are you here with anyone? You can come sit at our table if you're not," pointing toward their table. Sam waved.

"Sure. My friends aren't back in town yet, but I decided to come anyway." Starchild followed Kurt to the table.

Pointing around the table, "This is my boyfriend Sebastian, my best friend and our roommate Sam, and Sebastian's cousin Philipe, who is visiting us from France."

"I'm Elliott. Nice to meet all of you." He sat down next to Philipe.

"You said your friends aren't back in town. Are you a student here?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah. I haven't seen you here before. Are you new to town?" Elliott responded.

"We moved here a little over a month ago. From Ohio," Sam answered.

They all talked about the schools they would be attending. Elliott was a senior at another university in town. Sebastian and Kurt's turn came while they were talking. They excused themselves and went up on stage. They totally hammed up their version of "A Whole New World" and the audience was laughing and enjoying their silliness.

Kurt signed himself up one last time before they went back to sit down.

"That was great, you two." Sam said. "You two are the biggest Disney nerds ever."

"You don't have much room to talk. You speak Na'vi," Sebastian pointed out.

"Wait, really?" Elliott asked.

"Yes, really."

"That's actually really cool. You rocked 'Billionaire', by the way," Elliott said to Sam.

"Thanks."

Kurt's turn came more quickly that he had expected. "Sebastian, record this, okay?"

He nodded.

Kurt went up on stage. The pianist started the intro and Sam got a huge smile on his face. "Something has changed within me. Something is not the same..." Kurt started singing.

Kurt sang the whole song without a single missed note or mistake. He bowed slightly and smiled before leaving the stage. The applause was lighter, but it didn't matter one bit to Kurt.

"Got it," Sebastian said as Kurt sat back down.

"That was wicked," Elliott teased.

Kurt smirked and rolled his eyes. "That was awful, but thank you. That was a redo for something a long time ago."

"I heard about that too," Sam said sadly. Kurt looked confused. "Puck told me you blew the note on purpose."

"He knew?"

"I'm lost," Sebastian said. Philipe and Elliott nodded indicating their confusion.

"That song was going to be used for a competition in Glee, our high school show choir. Our lead female singer was automatically offered the song without anyone else being given a chance to audition for it. I challenged her. My dad had to go to the school to force the issue for our director to give me a chance. Then when it came time to face her head-to-head, I blew the high F intentionally because my dad had gotten another 'your son's a fag' threatening phone call the day before. I didn't want to put any more pressure on him by singing a girl's song in a public competition, so I blew the note."

He paused and then spoke again. "Tonight was me proving to myself that the song is right this time. I've changed. We've moved from the homophobic hellhole Sam and I lived in. I'm not going to let people walk on me anymore. Things are different now." He scooted closer to Sebastian and took his hand.

"And to answer your question," Sam said. "Yeah, Puck knew. He stood up for you, but Finn insisted that he was wrong, probably due to Rachel's influence. But Puck knows his music, so I always figured that he was right."

Elliott still looked a little lost, but refrained from asking more questions. The song obviously meant a lot to Kurt and that was a good enough answer.

"Elliott, it was nice to meet you," Kurt said, "but we have to get going. Philipe is leaving tomorrow morning."

"Maybe we'll see you here again sometime," Sebastian said. He and Kurt stood. Sam and Philipe got up as well.

Elliott stood last and offered them handshakes. "It was nice to meet all of you as well. I hope you have a smooth flight back tomorrow, Philipe."

"Thanks," Philipe replied.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Back at home, in bed for the night, Sebastian started talking. "So, Elliott was an interesting person with his Starchild persona."

"I thought so. I know it's weird, but it's like that could have been me. When Sam hesitated earlier and said 'that was before' and then didn't continue, he was going to say 'that was before Karofsky'. And he's right. I showed you the Lady Gaga video of me dancing with the girls doing 'Bad Romance'. I was pretty fearless. I wore that outfit with the 10-inch heels to school that week. I wore skirts and corsets to school. I didn't let those neanderthals influence who I was or how I wanted to dress. The day Sam and I met, I walked right up to him and offered my hand to shake his. I was direct and I sent him a bucket load of mp3s of me singing to prove to him that I was good so he would sing a duet with me. I did that _Victor Victoria_ piece you saw the video of when I dissolved our partnership."

"Which was hot, as I've mentioned before."

"Hush you," Kurt teased. "But after Karofsky's assaults picked up and he threatened to kill me, I left and went to Dalton, where I was forced to wear a uniform and to blend in. And conformity was everything. Do you know what I wore the day I went back to McKinley?"

"No idea."

"A white straight jacket with mini locks on it and a top hat. I performed 'Born this Way', which you've seen. I didn't blend in. I stood out. After I stupidly asked Blaine to come to McKinley, which I know now he would have done anyway, I slipped back into that Dalton-esque muted version of myself, even if I did still dress somewhat oulandishly. I allowed myself to become a background character in my own life. Starchild's stage presence just reminded me of myself or a mirage of myself, something that could have been."

"Do you still want that? You dress really fashionably now, but not really 'outlandish' as you just called it. You know, I'll love you all the same, no matter how you dress. If you wore a skirt, it wouldn't bother me. I know I teased you when we met. We've already discussed why. I just want to make sure that you know that how you dress or cut your hair or whatever doesn't affect who you are. You're the man I love, no matter how you dress."

"Thank you for saying that. I knew that, but thank you for reminding me. I love you." He kissed him gently.

"Do you want to dress differently than you do now?"

"I thought about that tonight while we were sitting there. I don't think I do. I love to perform and pretend while I'm on stage. I kept the 'bitch boots' as Puck called them. But those can look good with a punk look, not just with the skirts and corsets."

Kurt turned his light off and Sebastian followed suit. Kurt opened his arms for Sebastian to lay his head on Kurt's chest. "You know you have nothing to worry about, right? I'm yours, 100%. I'm not going to hit on other guys. I'm not going to run around on you." Kurt started singing the song he had sung to Sebastian when they were in Luxembourg Garden. "...I'm yours..."

Sebastian slipped back to that day in his memory and smiled. He relaxed and listened to Kurt sing. He snuggled close and let Kurt hold him tight.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Sebastian got up early the next morning to prepare a going away breakfast for Philipe. They made pancakes, eggs, turkey bacon, yogurt with fruit, and juice. Philipe and Sam came out after the smell of bacon filled the apartment.

"Wow, that looks great," Sam said taking his seat at the table. Philipe sat down as well. They piled their plates full of food and ate mostly in silence. After they had finished, Sam and Philipe went to get ready for the day and Kurt and Sebastian cleaned the kitchen.

Philipe brought his suitcase out and sat it by the front door. He hugged Sam and then stepped toward Kurt. He quietly said, "You're doing a great job taking care of him. He's whole again." as he hugged Kurt.

Sebastian gave Kurt a quick kiss and hug and held the door open for Philipe to go out to the car.


	23. Chapter 23

Kurt took every available shift during the two weeks before school started. He ended up working 10-hour days Monday through Friday the first week, plus his regular Saturday morning shift.

Sam took advantage of the fact that he was off all week and Sebastian was home to offer his expertise in all things sci fi. He persuaded Sebastian to sit and watch three movies with him each day that Kurt was at work. They spent a lot of time talking as well, getting to know each other better.

Friday at breakfast, Sam sat with his plate in front of him trying to figure out how to politely broach the topic, but finally just decided to say what he had on his mind. "You know, if you and Kurt ever want time alone in the apartment, I can make myself scare some evenings."

Sebastian looked at him quizzically.

"You know, ALONE time," Sam raised his eyebrows and emphasized the word, trying to not say exactly what he meant.

"Oh, oh. No, we're fine. We're not to that stage or whatever you want to call it."

"The two of you have been sleeping in the same bed for what? Like close to three months. I just assumed. I'm sorry, dude."

"It's fine. Not a problem."

"Do you not like him that way? Please tell me that's not the case. I don't think he can take that. One more round of 'you're not sexy' might just break him. I thought it might destroy him the last time."

"It's not that at all. I promise. He's gorgeous and totally hot."

"Okay. We'll that's good that you think so. You had me worried for a minute there. After what the jackass-who-shall-not-be-named did to him."

"Yeah, I know all about that. He told me everything when we were in France."

"Good."

"Let's finish eating, clean up, and skip the after-breakfast movie. There's some stuff I want to tell you," Sebastian said, deciding that it was time to tell Sam his secret.

"Alright."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They stretched out in the living room on the sofa, one on each side of the "L" with their feet nearly touching at the corner.

Sebastian started the conversation. "I'm not sure what Kurt's told you about me."

"Nothing personal, if that's what you're concerned about. He said you apologized for how you had treated him. That you knew about the jackass' lack of love. That you're not the playboy that you had portrayed yourself as. You're a bookworm and you like art and history. Not much more than that. I know he loves you. That's why I got defensive at breakfast. I just can't bear to watch him get his heart dragged through glass again."

"Well, all those things you just said about me are true. And I couldn't bear to do anything to hurt him either. So, you don't have to be concerned about that. It would break my heart to hurt him. I love him too."

"Good. He deserves to have someone love him."

"I agree."

"Kurt was the first person to see me for who I am and who I could be. He didn't see a stupid, poor kid with dyslexia who probably wouldn't graduate from high school. He was the first person to actually come up with ways to help me learn things. He set my math formulas to music so that I could remember them. He read to me so that I would remember what was in my textbooks. He actually did something when everyone else told me 'Just focus, Sam. Try harder, Sam.' or just wrote me off altogether as not being worth their time and effort to help. And when the school system had utterly failed me, he applied to colleges in states that didn't have those exit exams so that I could go with him and repeat my senior year in a place where I could actually graduate from high school. Even if I never manage to get into college, actually graduating high school this year will give me a better earning potential for a job. He gave me a future."

Sam was struggling to keep his emotions in check, but he continued.

"I'm not his friend because I owe him because I could never repay what he's done for me. I count myself lucky to be his friend because he's a freaking amazing person. All those losers in Lima kept trying to push him down and snuff out his voice. Even that hobbit jackass pushed him to the background. He's a light. He made me believe in myself when no one else did."

Sebastian just nodded.

Sam kept talking. "You have no idea how hard I searched my soul to find even a shred of bisexuality in myself. I love him so much it's crazy. You're lucky I never did find even a teeny tiny bit in there. I would have pursued him and given anything to make him mine."

"I know. Trust me, I know. He loves you like crazy too. I knew that going into this. And I count myself as lucky as you that he chose me. The fact that he even gave me a second chance to be his friend was more than I had hoped for really. The rest has just been beyond what I could allow myself to dream. "

Sebastian thought about what Sam had said about the timing of Kurt's plan. "He never said that he planned all this that far back."

"I know, but think about it. I didn't take those exams back in November, but Miss Pillsbury didn't say anything about me not graduating until like March. He had to have planned all of this a lot sooner than he gave himself credit for. He downplays his machinations rather than highlighting them. He had to have been planning to try to take me with him since before January when the applications were all due. I never really thought about when he had applied until I started thinking about applying to colleges this fall. The counselor at school talked about needing my portfolio ready by like December. He had to have started planning my escape right after I came back. He must have remembered that I failed those tests my junior year and then somehow realized that I had missed taking them when I came back so late in the semester last fall. All I know is he knew somehow and he planned a future for me when I didn't even have the hope to try to do it for myself. He hates the hero worship thing, though. So, I won't ever say anything to him about it. He cares more about me than I even cared about myself back then. You do realize that you've managed to snag one of the truly good guys, right?"

"That hasn't escaped my notice."

"Good."

Sebastian reminded Sam, "You also need to remember that you are one of the good guys. You are the only person who has ever truly treated him right from the minute you met him. If you had found that slightest teeniest, tiny bit of bisexuality that you just mentioned looking for in yourself, he would have been yours from the beginning. I have absolutely no doubt."

"You have no idea how hard it was for me to see how the hobbit abused his trust and love. I wished more than anything that I could have given that kind of love to him and meant it. I could never lie to him like that, but the temptation was great, just to keep that maggot from getting near him. After that crap the jackass pulled with Rachel - making out with him right in front of Kurt - I was so tempted."

"Well, you were a better man than me about it. I resorted to calling him names and being rude in an effort to get him to see just what a loser that jerk was. I hurt him. It took a lot of forgiveness for him to trust me. All I can say is that I'm glad you never lied to him like that because that would have killed him in a way that what the hobbit did to him never did. As much as I know he loves me and trusts me now, it still kills me inside to know that I hurt him. You can live with a clean conscience."

"Hey, try not to be so hard on yourself. You made things right. He loves you. Just don't ever do it again - hurt him like that. We're friends and I've come to trust you too, but don't ever hurt him."

"I couldn't now. There's no way. You probably don't know this, but I liked him from the moment I met him, which was a few weeks before you came back to Ohio. It's my biggest issue I still struggle with - in terms of being with him. He's forgiven me, but I haven't managed to forgive myself yet."

"Well, if it's of any help to you, I know that he doesn't hold it against you. You might as well forgive yourself and break that barrier down. He's not holding on to that, but you refusing to let go keeps a barrier between you two."

"I never really thought about it that way."

Sam just nodded.

"I want to tell you something that here in the States only my dad and Kurt know."

"Okay."

"You mentioned that Kurt told you that my playboy persona was just that, a façade."

"Yeah."

"It was like a defense mechanism. It kept people away. Having a double room to myself helped reinforce that 'casanova' front. I had a place to take my 'conquests'. I was 'sneaky' enough to get them in and out of Dalton without getting caught. It gave me this bad boy persona that people wanted to stay away from, insuring my ability to isolate myself effectively. I would act like a big playboy, but when I was approached, I would act too high and lofty to deign to stoop to making out without whoever approached me."

"I can see how that would work. Make everyone feel inferior if they tried to get close. People start to dislike you and leave you alone."

"You got it. Well, there's a reason for that behavior."

"There usually is."

Sebastian opened up for the second time in his life to a friend about what had happened to him.

Sam lay there looking at him, stunned. "So, that's why you came to Ohio?"

Sebastian nodded.

"No wonder you were screwed up. The fact that you recovered from that in what, eight or nine months, is amazing."

"Well, I had help. The counselor I saw made a big difference. And the fact that I wanted to move forward helped as well. Kurt has helped more than he knows. Just the fact that he would forgive me. And then knowing what happened, he still chose to be with me and to love me."

"Hey, hey. That wasn't your fault."

"No, but I still didn't think anyone would ever want to be with me."

"I get it. But he loves you, really loves you. He's himself with you in a way that I've only ever seen him be with me. That's how I could tell you were the real deal."

"Please don't tell anyone what I told you. I told you because I've come to trust you, but as you can imagine, I don't trust easily."

"Yeah. I can see why."

"If and when we start making friends here, you'll probably see my PTSD OCD issues come out more. I'm trying to plan ahead and I'm looking for a new counselor. But I wanted you to understand that it's not something I can just NOT do. I'm not sure how to handle the idea that there will be people in here that I don't know or trust."

"We can ease into it. Or maybe we can buy some bottled water and individual snacks that we reserve for guests. I don't know. There has to be a way we can make it work without you being afraid. We'll figure it out."

"Thanks, Sam. I mean it."

"No problem, really. This is our home. Our refuge. We'll find a way to keep it that way without having to isolate ourselves."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They had an early, light lunch and Sebastian took Sam with him to Yale to register for his classes afterwards. Sam went to the Yale Art Gallery while Sebastian registered for his classes and went to the meeting he had to go to. They met up late in the afternoon.

"So, how did it go? Did you get what you wanted?" Sam asked.

"I did. It worked out perfectly."

"That's great. So, back home or somewhere else?"

"Bookstore. Definitely to the bookstore. I need to buy all of the books for my classes."

They took off walking toward the bookstore. "So how was the Art Gallery?" Sebastian asked.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

On the drive home, Sebastian had an idea. "Kurt's worked his tail off this week. I want to do something nice for him."

"Good idea."

"So, we're going to get back in town right around the time he gets off. I'm going to drive to the shop and I want you to take the Navigator home and make dinner."

"I can do that."

"I'm going to take him to that yogurt shop and let him pick whatever he wants."

"Perfect."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Sebastian walked in to the apartment about an hour later. "It smells so good in here. The two of you spoil me rotten."

"Being treated nicely by your boyfriend and best friend is not being spoiling rotten. It's just being nice," Sam said.

"If you say so."

"I know so," Sam said.

Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt from behind. "Sam's right."

"Enough talk. Let's eat," Sam said.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After dinner, Kurt opted for an early evening. He showered and when he came out, he found Sebastian putting his textbooks on his bookcase.

"Oh, wow. That's a lot of books."

"Yeah, it looks that way because they're mostly novels since I'm taking so many lit courses. But I've read a few of these books before and since I read all the time anyway, it won't be a problem."

"How did registration go?"

"I managed to pull off exactly what I wanted, which was no classes on Tuesday or Thursday. That way I only have to commute three days a week."

"That's perfect. Will you shower early and get in bed with me? I'm just exhausted and I want to snuggle."

"I'll be right back," Sebastian answered with a huge smile on his face.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian returned quickly, bringing Kurt's lotion with him. He approached the bed quietly in case Kurt had actually fallen asleep while he was in the shower. Kurt opened his eyes as soon as Sebastian got close. "I'm not sleeping. You're not in bed with me yet."

"How about a massage? I brought your lotion."

"That would be amazing."

"Take your shirt off and turn over."

Kurt did as Sebastian said and Sebastian climbed on the bed and straddled him and massaged his shoulders, neck, arms and hands.

"That feels so good. I'm so sore. Tires are a lot heavier than people think. I'm ready to go back to being the specialist only. Having to do the tire rotations and tire replacements is too much work," Kurt complained.

"Just think all the money you save by not needing a gym membership."

Kurt laughed. "You're right. I'm just being grumpy. I'll stop."

"I have something to tell you."

"That sounds ominous."

"No, not at all. Actually, it's good."

"Do tell."

"I told Sam about Jacques this morning."

Kurt flipped over. "Really?"

"Really. He was really cool about it. He really is a good friend."

"That was really brave of you." He pushed up onto his elbows and kissed Sebastian. "Hop up so we can get comfortable."

Sebastian moved and Kurt grabbed his shirt and put it back on and lay down on his back on his side of the bed, putting his arm out inviting Sebastian to lay his head on Kurt's chest. They lay that way for a while. Kurt ran his hands through Sebastian's hair, which he knew was really comforting. He knew how hard it must have been for Sebastian to open up to Sam like that.

Kurt gently turned Sebastian's face up and kissed him. "If you want to read, it's fine. You can turn over and I can just scoot back so we're touching and I'll go to sleep."

"The light would be on and the page turning is noisy."

"Not if you use my Kindle. Don't forget I got that unlimited books thing. Just pick something that looks interesting and download it. They you can read with the light off and without making any page turning noises." Kurt reached over and took his Kindle off the side table and handed it to Sebastian. "It's fully charged. You can read for ages."

Sebastian took it and put it on his own side table. "How about more snuggling since that IS how you lured me into the bed so early." He turned back over and faced Kurt and returned to kissing him.

Kurt pulled back after a few minutes. "This isn't snuggling," he teased.

"Close enough," Sebastian said and went back to kissing him. After a few minutes of gentle kissing, Sebastian stroke Kurt's cheek and said, "You're gorgeous you know." and gave him one more quick kiss and turned over.

"Snuggling it is then," Kurt said. "I'll be the big spoon so you can read later."

Sebastian turned his light off and lay on his side and let Kurt snuggle up behind him.

"Perfect," Kurt said. He kissed Sebastian on the back of his neck. "I love you, mon choix. Maybe we can do something fun tomorrow when I get off, like that disc golf again or we could even drive down to a beach somewhere. You pick something and surprise me, okay?"

"Alright, but the surprise will have to be Sunday. I have to get up and drive to Yale early tomorrow for a bunch of orientation stuff. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon."

He pulled Kurt's hand up and kissed his knuckles. "I love you too, mon ange. Get some sleep."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian packed a quick lunch, put it in his backpack. He also pack Kurt a snack. They headed off to the shop and then Sebastian drove on to New Haven. Sam had made plans to go out to shoot hoops with one of the camp counselors at a nearby park early that morning.

Sam drove the Navigator to the park and met up with Zack. They had a good time horsing around and playing some 1-on-1. It didn't take long for a few other guys to show up and they had enough for a 3-on-3 game. After an hour and a half or so, Sam was tired and ready to rest for a while. He and Zack bowed out and went and sat on a park bench nearby.

"You live close?" Zack asked.

"Yeah. Probably should have just walked, but I drove. Why?"

"We could go to your place and play some video games."

"Yeah. Okay. Come on, you can follow me."

Ten minutes later, they walked into the apartment.

"Dude, this place is nice."

"Um, thanks?"

"So, what kind of system do you have?"

"An Xbox. I've only got Call of Duty though. We can play that. If we plan ahead next time, I can rent something else."

"Sure."

"You got anything to eat? And where's the bathroom?"

"Turn around. Go through that door and it's on the left. The bathrooms open into the bedrooms."

"Got it."

A few minutes later, Zack was back. He sat at the table. Sam made them grilled cheese sandwiches and found a bag of baby carrots and dumped them in a bowl.

Zack gave the carrots a quizzical look.

"If you want junk food, you'll have to bring your own. We don't buy any. None of us eat it."

"Who's 'we'?"

"Oh, me and my roommates."

"You live on your own?"

"Yeah, dude. My parents live in Kentucky."

"How long you lived here?"

"Since the beginning of July."

"So, like you and your roommates paid for all of this stuff? That's a lot of nice stuff."

"Well, my roommates' families bought us the couch, but the rest of the stuff one of us paid for. And I'm not some trust fund kid, if that's what you're thinking. My parents are dirt poor. I worked my butt off last year waiting tables where I used to live. One of my roommates is a mechanic and works in a shop here and did where we lived before too. The other one, honestly I'm not sure what he used to do. He grew up in France."

"France?"

"Yeah. Mom's French, dad's American."

"Got it."

Sam took the plates and the bowl and put them in the sink when they finished.

"I'll be back in a minute. You can start the system up if you want."

Sam came back a few minutes later to find Zack in Kurt and Sebastian's bedroom instead of in the living room.

"Dude?" Sam asked wondering why Zack wasn't in the living room.

"Your roommates are gay?"

"Yeah. Is that a problem for you?"

"Nah. What about you?"

"Nope. Come on, let's go play."

They spent an hour playing COD. Eventually, Zack decided to head out.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam plopped down on the sofa after he had left. "Well, crap," he said out loud.

He couldn't tell Sebastian that Zack had gone in their room, but he needed to come up with an idea to make sure it never happened again without tipping his hat about what had happened. It was only for a few minutes and he was sure that Zack didn't touch anything, but still, he couldn't risk it happening again. He had pretty much promised that he'd make sure that Sebastian felt safe in his own home.

He also needed to figure out the food issue. Teenagers treated the Hummel's home like a free restaurant. Finn would show up with who knows how many people unplanned and they'd just raid the kitchen, like locusts, he had heard Kurt call it. He knew that he and Sebastian and Kurt could not financially support that kind of behavior. Kurt was already bearing the brunt of the expenses on his back by splitting the rent with Sebastian's dad. He couldn't afford to feed other people and he couldn't expect Kurt and Sebastian to do it.

He had done the calculations himself. With the way the expenditures were divided up, he and Kurt would have about the same amount of "leftover" money each month, about $70. He also knew that as long as Kurt could pay everything, he'd never ask for that $300 that Burt had offered to give them each month. So, Kurt worked five more hours a week and earned three times as much an hour and had the same amount of expendable cash left at the end of each month. That was a sobering thought. He knew he had to find a solution.

He looked at the doors. A kiddie lock wouldn't work, plus it would damage the door and doorframe. The doorknobs. They had locks, but no keys. Surely they made interior doorknobs with keys, right? He took a photo of the front, the side and the back of the doorknob area on the door. He looked online and found a Home Depot a couple of miles away and headed there. He found a 2-pack with matching keys for under $20. He pulled out Kurt's tool kit from the Navigator and went inside and installed the new doorknobs, carefully packaging up the originals to reinstall when they moved out.

He phone started ringing when he was almost done with the second doorknob.

"Kurt?" He realized the time. "Oh, crap I forgot to come get you. I'll be right there."

Sam finished up quickly and ran out the door to go pick Kurt up.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

When he got there, Kurt was sitting outside on the sidewalk, leaned up against the building. Kurt got up as Sam pulled into the parking space.

"I'm so sorry Kurt."

"Hey, it happens. Let's just get home. I want to shower."

"Well, I have a surprise when we get home."

"A surprise?"

"Well, it's nothing exciting. Just what I came up with this morning. It's why I lost track of the time. I went to Home Depot."

"Okay."

"You'll see. When's Sebastian going to be back?"

"Um, around 4:00, I think. Maybe 5:00."

"We're going to the karaoke place tonight, right?"

"Yeah."

They walked in the apartment and Sam showed Kurt what he had done.

"That's a great idea. And the keys match? So, you can still get in our room if you need to?"

"Yeah. We need to put the spare keys somewhere in the main area where no one would think to look."

Kurt grabbed his hammer and a small nail out of his toolbox. He went in the kitchen and opened the cabinet under the sink and put the nail in the area behind the false drawer and hung the spare key on it. "There. No one will ever see it there and it's actually easy to get to and put back."

"Here's your key and Sebastian's," Sam said as he handed Kurt two keys. "I'll put the tools and stuff back in the box and put it back in the Nav."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt had showered while Sam made lunch. They were sitting at the table talking while they ate. "So, what brought on the idea to put keyed locks on the bedroom doors?"

"Well, Sebastian told me about what happened."

"Uh huh. He told me that he did."

"This morning was the first time someone wanted to come over here. That guy Zack that was a counselor with me at camp came over here after we played basketball for a while."

"Okay."

"I thought about how hard it would be to keep track of what more than one person in the apartment was doing. And the keyed doorknobs seemed like a good way to keep people out of our personal spaces. It's kind of annoying that the bathrooms are in our rooms, but we'll just have to let people in and out to use them, I guess. I don't really mind people being in my room, but you and Sebastian can let people in and out of your room to use your bathroom if you want."

"I'm sure he's really going to appreciate you doing that for him."

"The other thing I realized is that food is an issue. Zack came over and pretty much expected me to feed him, like Finn's friends. High school students are used to just showing up and eating other people's food. That's not going to work here. So, we'll have to figure that out somehow."

"Definitely. You and I don't have the expendable cash to be footing the bill for locust-swarming high school boys with bottomless pits. And it's certainly not Reid's job to buy extra food."

"A topic for discussion we'll need to deal with when all three of us are here."

"Well, thanks for the locks and for lunch."

"You're welcome."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt spent the afternoon making the carrying bag for Sam's tripod that he had agreed to make. He had bought a pair of old jeans for $2 at a second hand store. They were decades out of style and made from really thick denim, which was the perfect fabric for the bag. He used the belt loops around the bag in two places to match the strapping on Sam's backpack so he could carry the bag around fastened to his backpack if he wanted to.

"Hey, Sam," Kurt called out, "can you bring your tripod out here and grab your backpack?" Kurt could hear Sam folding the tripod up. A few minutes later, he handed it to Kurt. Kurt slipped it into the carrying bag and then used the strapping from the backpack to fasten it on and had Sam put the backpack on. "What do you think?"

Sam went and looked in the mirror in his bathroom. "That's really cool. Now, I can take it anywhere easily. You're really good at designing stuff. Are you going to study costuming or design this fall?"

"I have one class that might involve some costuming, but I'm not sure yet."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be great at it."

"If you say so."

"I know so."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Not much later, Sebastian came in the door to find Sam and Kurt making dinner. It was some kind of soup, which smelled really good. He walked up behind Kurt and tried to peek over his shoulder, but instead Kurt turned quickly and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm glad your home. After we eat, we're heading out to the karaoke place again."

"Sounds fun." Sebastian hung his backpack up on the hall rack. He walked into the bedroom to change his clothes. "Hey, we have new doorknobs," he called out. He turned around and went back to the kitchen, but walked to look at Sam's door first.

"Yeah. They're to keep people from being busybodies," Sam said. "I installed them earlier."

Sebastian walked up to Sam and hugged him. "Thank you." He let him go and walked back to his and Kurt's room. Kurt turned and looked at Sam and looked toward the bedroom indicating that he was going to go talk to Sebastian. Sam just nodded.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt shut the door behind him as he went in to talk to Sebastian. He pulled Sebastian's key off his key ring and handed it to him. Sebastian took it and put it on his own key ring. "The key opens both doors. The spare is hanging on a nail behind the false drawer on the left side of the sink cabinet."

"He is really as amazing as you always said."

"I know. He's super sweet."

"I know he doesn't have much money and he went and he bought those so I'd feel better." Sebastian's eyes were watery.

"Yep."

Kurt pulled Sebastian into a hug. "It's okay."

"Yeah." Sebastian wiped his eyes. "We've been here just the three of us for so long that I had just gotten used to the ease of it. But I can't expect Sam to have no friends. The doorknobs are a great idea. But I'm still going to see if Dr. Morris can recommend anyone here in Hartford for me to continue to get better."

Kurt pulled him close again and kissed him. "I love you."

Sebastian held him close and returned his kisses.

"Dinner's ready, mon choix. Do you want to go ahead and eat with us or do you need some time?"

"No, no. I'm good. I just don't want to wear this. I'll be right out."

Kurt gave him another swift kiss and turned to head back out to the kitchen.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

That night, while Kurt was in the shower, Sebastian packed a picnic lunch for himself and for Kurt for the next day. He placed board shorts and a wife beater for each of them on his desk chair in the seat where Kurt wouldn't notice them. He packed two casual button-up shirts that matched their board shorts along with sunblock and towels in a plastic bag and put it in his car.

While he was waiting in lines earlier that afternoon at Orientation, Sebastian had searched for a less frequented beach area where there wouldn't be a big crowd like the last place they had gone. That one was definitely nice with all of the extra amenities, but he was looking for some place less commercial this time.

Sebastian took his turn in the bathroom and turned off his light as he climbed into bed. He was only in bed for a matter of seconds before Kurt had pulled him over to lay on his chest. Kurt ran his fingers through Sebastian's hair. "I missed you today. I'm used to spending Saturdays with you."

Sebastian looked up at him and smiled. "I missed you too."

"I can't believe school is starting for you and Sam next week. It seems like it should have started ages ago in some ways, but in others it's happened too fast. How are you feeling about your classes starting?"

"New teachers, new classes, more things to learn about. It doesn't feel scary this year. You're here. We're together. Last year, I was so alone."

"And now, you're not. You have me and Sam."

"Yep." He reached over and took Kurt's hand. "So, karaoke was interesting tonight. Elliott looked completely different. I almost didn't recognize him until he got closer and spoke."

"I know. And his roommates were fun. Dani and..."

"Charlene."

"Right. Charlene."

"They invited us over to their place. I told Elliott I'd let him know since things were hectic with you and Sam both starting school this week and with your mom coming to visit."

"I'm sorry."

Kurt looked confused. "About what?"

"I'm making it hard for you to make new friends."

"No, you're not. You're fine. I was serious about it not being a great time to make plans. That wasn't just a lame excuse."

"Oh, okay."

"You start school in four days, Sam in three and your mom's coming in a little over a week, with a return trip a little over a week later. And before she comes back, my classes will start. We need to get our schedules working together before we try to add something new to the mix. We've put off our scheduling long enough. We're going to have to make a preliminary one for a week or two and then once we see how our work load is, we can tweak it to make it work the best we can."

"Then we can start adding visiting people," Sebastian added.

"Right."

"As long as I don't drag you down."

"Never." Kurt pulled wrapped both arms around Sebastian and held him tight. "Ready to sleep?"

"Yeah." He tipped his head up and kissed Kurt. "Turn over to be the little spoon."

Sebastian held Kurt close and couldn't help but smile. "Good night, mon ange."

"Mmm." was all he heard in reply, as Kurt snuggled back as close as he could.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian managed to sneak out of bed and make breakfast for the two of them and put it on a tray to take back to their bedroom. Sam came out of his room as Sebastian was finishing up the tray.

"Nice," he commented.

"Thanks."

"Special occasion?"

"Nope. Just because."

"That's probably the best reason of all."

Sebastian nodded as he finished up. "We'll be back later this afternoon, before dinner."

"Got it. Have fun whatever it is that you're doing. I'm going to double-check that list of things I have to get done before school starts. See ya."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt woke up when Sebastian kissed him gently on the cheek. "Wakey, wakey. I brought breakfast."

"Mmm." Kurt stretched and sat up and slid back. Sebastian put the tray down across Kurt's lap.

"Some of this is for you, isn't it?"

"Of course, we'll share," he smiled. He cut a bite of the omelette and slid it onto the fork and fed it to Kurt.

"That's good. It's a little spicy. I like it." He continued to feed Kurt, alternating with taking bites himself. "Thank you."

Once they had finished, Sebastian put the tray on his desk and climbed back in bed. "Are you ready for your surprise?"

"You mean the breakfast in bed wasn't the surprise?" Kurt looked confused.

"Well, it was part of the surprise." He kissed Kurt.

"Mmm, is my surprise a morning full of kisses?"

"That could be arranged some time," Sebastian laughed sweetly. "But that's not what I have planned for today."

Kurt pouted.

"Well, I suppose there's time for a little more kissing. How can I turn down kissing my favorite person?"

Kurt's eyes lit up. He moved to climb into Sebastian's lap, closed his eyes and leaned into Sebastian's the crook of Sebastian's neck and just smelled him, then started placing gentle kisses his neck. Sebastian just melted into the kisses.

"Oh, God that feels good," he said. Kurt kept it up and started gently kissing him on the lips, never pushing past the gentle kissing, just keeping things sweet. He pulled back after a couple of minutes.

"So, where are we going?"

"Going?" Sebastian had lost his train of thought. "Yes, going. To the beach. I found a nice one. Our clothes are in my desk chair, lunch is already packed and our other stuff is already in my car."

"Well, you are an efficient planner, aren't you?" he asked as he kissed him one last time and climbed off of his lap and got out of the bed and grabbed his clothes off the chair. Five minutes later, he was back out of the bathroom and ready to go. Sebastian went in briefly and they were on their way to the kitchen to grab the picnic lunch and head out the door.

An hour later, they arrived at a beautiful beach that was mostly empty. "It's beautiful," Kurt said.

Sebastian took Kurt's hand and they walked through the surf down the length of the beach. When the got to the other end, Sebastian sped up a bit and got a step ahead, then turned to walk backwards. "Dance with me?"

"Always."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o,"

"This is so much fun. I always figured I'd actually hate it because it looked so grimy in pictures, but I actually love it."

"Well, yours is looking better than mine."

"That's because you're watching me more than you're building."

"Well, you're better looking than my sand castle."

Kurt tackled him gently. "Well, I'd hope so," he said as he kissed him and then sat up.

"Last night we were talking about Elliott and his roommates."

"Yeah."

"Well, we could see if they want to go to that park with us next Sunday and have a picnic and play disc golf. That would be a way to get to know them better. We can have it be a BYO, rather than a pitch in. We can grab two Little Caesar's Pizzas to split between the three of us or we can make sandwiches or something else, if you want."

"That could be fun. Did you get his number?"

"Sam did. I'll get Sam to call him and see if they want to go when we get back home."

"Let's go back out in the water." Sebastian offered Kurt a hand up.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt sat a bag on the kitchen counter after they walked into the apartment. "We drove past a farm with a stand out by the highway and stopped on the way back. A nice big salad sounds great for dinner and maybe stir fry for tomorrow night?"

"I'll wash everything while you two go shower and change," Sam said. "This stuff looks great."

Kurt was back in time to start drying the vegetables and sorting out what was for the salad and what was for the stir fry. By the time Sebastian came out, they had chopped most everything.

"I'll slice some chicken and put it on skewers, it will be done really quickly on the grill." Sebastian said.

Dinner was on the table quickly and they started talking about what to do after dinner.

"I think it's a classic movie night. You had all week with Sam showing you sci fi movies. Or maybe we should watch a French movie."

"Actually, I think we talked about how it's time to sit down and make a schedule since school starts for two of us this week," Sebastian said.

"I'll go grab some paper," Kurt said.

Sam and Sebastian started to clear the table and put everything in the dishwasher.

They worked out a preliminary schedule. Kurt would cook dinner on Sunday and Monday. Sebastian on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sam on Thursday and Friday. They'd all take the exact same lunches and whoever cooked would pack lunches for the next day. Whoever didn't cook would wash, dry and put away the pots and pans and run the dishwasher. Sebastian and Sam would do the shopping for the week on Saturday mornings while Kurt was at work. And Saturday evenings, they'd cook together and try out new recipes. They decided they'd work on a menu the next day after they'd each had time to think of three dinners and three lunches for the others to choose between.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

That night in bed, Kurt snuggled up to Sebastian and laid his head on his shoulder and traced patterns on his chest while Sebastian gently rubbed his hand up and down Kurt's arm.

"Thanks for putting up with my crazy overplanning."

"Its not crazy. It's smart. You are the most organized person I've ever met. It's a positive trait, not something to apologize for. Your planning will save a lot of money on groceries and we'll all eat well. And we know what's expected of us, which most people actually appreciate."

"Well, I've not found many people appreciative of my planning in the past, so it's a refreshing change."

"Well, good. How about we turn off the lights?" Kurt rolled back and turned his off and Sebastian turned his off as well. "You asked me the other night how I was feeling about school starting. But you never said how you were feeling about it."

"I'm scared to be honest. I still struggle with feeling like the school made a big mistake in admitting me. Like I'm going to perform and everyone is going to laugh at me like what happened with _West Side Story_."

"People love to hear you sing. Well, at least sane people love to hear you sing. I can't speak for the lunatics that ran your school."

Kurt laughed.

Sebastian found Kurt's left hand in the dark and ran his thumb over Kurt's ring. "You belong there. You'll see."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt woke up to Sebastian kissing the back of his neck. "Mmm." He snuggled back into Sebastian.

"I let you sleep for a while, but then your neck called to me like a siren and I was helpless against the pull."

"Well, by all means, don't let me being awake stop you," he laughed. "But can I assume that Sam's sci fi education is going well? Did he have you watching _Star Trek_ episodes where someone is lured to some planet only to lose their life force to some aliens?"

"Well, they only NEARLY lost their life force because they were rescued of course."

"Of course."

"His enthusiasm about all of it is contagious, even if it's sometimes completely uninteresting."

"I agree. So, what's on our agenda for the morning? I have a short shift today, my soon-to-be-normal 3:00-6:00."

"Well, I believe you had requested a morning full of kisses recently."

"Mmm. Are you offering to fill that request?"

"I could be persuaded," he teased, kissing Kurt gently.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

An hour later, Kurt's stomach repeatedly growling loudly prompted Sebastian to make breakfast. He was quick about it and they ate quickly, returning to their bedroom and the bed.

"We're going to be so busy in a week, I just want to lie here and listen to music with you and then maybe we can spend a while dancing. Maybe we can splurge and go out to that Chinese buffet for lunch. I bet it's less expensive at lunch. A back-to-school treat for everyone."

"Sounds like a good plan. Text Sam and tell him," Sebastian said. "I want you to stay here with me."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

While they were happily pigging out at the Chinese buffet, Kurt brought up the idea of a picnic at the park with the disc golf course.

"So, how about you call Elliott and invite him and his roommates to go with us next Sunday?"

"I can do that."

"Did you get everything done you needed to before school starts tomorrow or do you have more things to do when we get home?"

"Nope. Got it all done. My scores are horrible, but I did what I was supposed to. The whole point is for the resource teacher to help me, so she's going to see exactly what I need help with, I guess. Better this way so we can get started right away. I've got to do better. Some days I wish I just had a magic wand so I could read without it being so ridiculously hard. What you had me do with books really helps, but that doesn't work online. I can't make the index card cover over all of the lines that I'm not trying to read."

"Well, the school is highly ranked, so I'm assuming they only keep good teachers. I hope the resource teacher is just that, full of ideas and resources," Kurt said.

"I hope so."

Sebastian said, "I'm too full to do anything. How about we go home and have a movie marathon? We each pick one movie and we all watch. Triple feature."

"It'll have to be a double feature. I have to be at work in an hour."

"It can still be a triple feature, you just only get to see the last one third. We'll watch your movie choice third," Sam said.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Did you enjoy your afternoon with Sam?"

"Well, _Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog_ wasn't nearly as horrible as I thought it would be," Sebastian said.

"It is surprisingly good," Kurt agreed. "We used to have movie night every Thursday. I miss it. Maybe we can do it on Saturday nights after we come back from karaoke. No one has to be up super early on Sunday."

"That would work for me."

"I'm going to get up and take a picture of Sam before he leaves in the morning, so he can send it to his parents. Then I have to go to work."

"I'll probably start read one of the books for my classes. Probably the history book. Sometimes lit classes ask students to write predictions or try to find the foreshadowing in texts, so I won't read any of the novels that I haven't already read and I'll just hope those aren't used in any assignments like that."

"Let's turn the lights off. I really want to snuggle. Snuggling you is addictive. But I refuse any help to overcome my addiction, I enjoy it too much."

They turned off the lights. "You're so silly. Come on. Scoot over here." Sebastian slid up close to Kurt and laid his head on Kurt's chest and Kurt ran his fingers through Sebastian's hair."

"See, it releases endorphins or something. You petting me makes me all relaxed. I struggled to sleep all last year. I'd go to bed and read until I couldn't keep my eyes open and I'd wake up like five hours later, still sleepy and unable to go back to sleep. Since you came home with me and started sleeping in my bed, I fell asleep easier, but I still woke up really early. After we started snuggling, I sleep a normal amount of time. Your snuggles are the cure for insomnia."

"Honestly, I never slept well until I started sleeping in your bed. I think I was always just to on edge. People spray painting graffiti, knocking over our trash, letting the air out of my tires, all of that stuff just made me edgy all the time."

Kurt started running his fingers through Sebastian hair again and continued to speak.

"Knowing I'm not alone has done a world of good for me. You are so good to me. I honestly thought I would hate letting someone take care of me. I felt like it would be demeaning and make me feel even worse about myself. That's why it was so hard in the beginning, but I was really wrong. Letting you in and letting you close has made me feel so much better about myself. In the last few months I've learned that letting you take care of me makes me feel valued, not demeaned."

Sebastian responded, "I felt like letting go was the same as losing control and it's not. I can let go because you don't try to control me. You ask, you allow me to choose. It's freeing." Sebastian pushed up onto his elbow and leaned forward and started kissing Kurt's neck and to balance himself he had to put his hand on the other side of Kurt's shoulder. "Is this okay?"

"So okay. Yes."

Kurt had been following Sebastian's lead and this was the first time that Sebastian had done anything so bold. And Kurt was enjoying every second of it.

"That feels really good." He slowly moved so that he could meet Sebastian's lips and show him that he wouldn't push him past his comfort level. After a few gentle kisses, he nudged Sebastian to lie back down and get comfortable so they could sleep. "I love you, Bas, so very much." Kurt knew how much courage it had taken for Sebastian to make a move like that. More gentle kisses followed. He wanted Sebastian to feel safe and cherished.

Sebastian turned over and let Kurt slide up behind him, leaving no space between them. Kurt kissed Sebastian neck with tiny kisses. Kurt wrapped Sebastian in his arms. They fell asleep and woke up that way.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After work, Kurt and Sam walked in and Kurt showered quickly and returned to the kitchen to start prepping dinner. It was the first time Kurt had tried doing it completely on his own after coming home from work. Sam and Sebastian couldn't manage to sit around and watch him do all of the work alone.

"I propose we make a change to our schedule," Sebastian said.

"Already?" Kurt asked.

"Yes. I've decided I don't like this system. It works so much better when all three of us work together if we're all going to be here. And since we've decided that we're all being frugal and only eating out on occasion and since both of you get off at 6:00 and I'll be arriving around the same time, I propose that we all make dinner together every night. If we wait until one of us can get it done alone, dinner will be a lot later every evening and we all need a break when we get here, so whoever isn't cooking isn't going to actually get any schoolwork done immediately anyway."

"I agree," Sam said. "I can't just sit around here while one person does all the work. It was different when one or two of us cooked when the other wasn't here."

"Okay, you softies. Come help me," Kurt hugged each of them. 'Many hands make light work, right?'" he quoted.

As they sat and ate, Sebastian brought up an alternate plan. "How about we leave the schedule we set, but that person is in charge of the menu for those two nights and the following two lunches. That person is in charge of the meal, delegating sous chef tasks to the other two."

"That would work. That way no one has to do all of the planning and we get to eat sooner. And, you're right. Cooking together is more fun," Sam said.

"Okay, you two win. I'm convinced. So, how was your first day?" Kurt asked Sam.

"It was unusual. The school week is kind of weird for me. It's done in blocks. We have four classes each day. So there's Blue Block and Gold Block. Blue Block classes meet on Monday and Wednesday and Gold Block classes meet on Tuesday and Thursday. Fridays alternate between Blue and Gold Blocks."

"That's more like college classes," Sebastian said. "I have four classes that meet on Mondays and Wednesdays and two classes that meet on Fridays and my Friday classes meet for twice as long as the Monday/Wednesday classes."

"I'll have the same thing. Some classes will be Monday/Wednesday, some Monday/Wednesday/Friday, some Friday only and some Tuesday/Thursday."

"So, we all have weird new school schedules this year," Sam said. "It will take some time to get used to." He paused, "So you don't have any classes on Tuesday and Thursday?" he asked Sebastian.

"No. I worked really hard to get it so I only had to drive down there three days a week. I figured I could get a lot of reading done if I stayed home two whole days and squeezed my classroom time into three days. I'd lose four hours just driving there and back the additional two days. I can use those better by staying put. I'm an early riser by nature, so I won't be tempted to sleep in instead of doing my work."

"That's good because I sure would be," Sam said. "When do you register, Kurt?"

"The day before classes start. It's just like that for the first semester though, but it's kind of stressful for me to have to wait so long. You both know how much I like to plan."

They both nodded.

"One thing I love about this year is that I will only have homework from the resource teacher. My other classes are all studio classes. Well, I'll have work to do for them, but it won't be reading, essays and math problems. Just art projects. This will definitely be better than the last several years of high school, which have been torturous in some ways."

They continued their discussion about their classes for a while, cleaned up, packed lunches, and then decided to play a couple of board games that evening before heading off to bed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Make sure to set your alarm with enough time for our morning snuggle. I'm not used to you running off. I think tomorrow morning will be the first time that I'm left alone in the apartment all day. I'll definitely need a good snuggle before you go."

"I hadn't thought about that. Don't worry. I'll have time for our snuggle before I go." Sebastian set his alarm on his phone and turned off the last light. He curled up onto Kurt's chest.

"It's really happening. Sam today, you tomorrow, me next week. We did it. Seeing Sam leave in his uniform this morning made it feel real."

"He looked good. You did a good job on his hair the other night. It looks good with the highlights and trimmed up."

Kurt started running his hand through Sebastian's hair. "The barbershop you went to the other day did a good job on yours, but I can do it next time if you want."

"I honestly didn't know you could do it. I just went one day when you were gone. Now, that I know you can, I'll have you do it and use the $15 I would have spent on a haircut on you instead."

Kurt rolled his eyes.

"I can tell you're rolling your eyes, even in the dark." He tipped his head up and kissed him. "Okay, I'll spend it on us getting frozen yogurt at that place you like."

"You sweet talker, you. You know just how to get me to give in to letting you spoil me." Kurt slid down and turned on his side so they were facing each other and resumed the kissing.

"Mmm." Kurt kept his hand loosely on Sebastian's side when they were in this position and Sebastian usually did the same. But Sebastian was hesitantly moving his hand around to Kurt's lower back pulling them closer together. He slid his hand up and accidentally ended up with his hand under Kurt's undershirt. He jerked back and broke the kiss.

Kurt took his hand and held it close. "It's okay with me, Bas. You can touch me. It's okay."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

Kurt scooted toward Sebastian and gave him a gentle kiss. "I love you, mon choix." Sebastian returned the kiss and put his hand back on Kurt's side. After a few minutes, Kurt pulled away softly and lay back on his back. "Can we talk for a few minutes?"

Sebastian was tense, but he said, "Sure."

"I just want to tell you this when we're not in the middle of kissing, so you know for sure that it's not because I'm feeling pressured or anything."

"Okay."

"I'm really fine with you touching me. I actually really enjoy you touching me, if you want to. No pressure though. You know that, right?"

"I do."

"When I first asked you to be my boyfriend, I asked what you were comfortable with. If there comes a time when you are no longer comfortable with something or you want to add something new to the list, then we can talk about it. Never be concerned about bringing it up, okay?"

Sebastian didn't say anything.

"I won't ever get upset, even if you change your mind and want to step back."

"Okay."

"Good. Shall we try to get some sleep? You have to get up and drive in the morning and your safety is very important to me." Kurt turned toward Sebastian and they kissed gently. Kurt gently pushed Sebastian to turn over facing away from him and Kurt scooted forward to make himself the big spoon. He wrapped his arms around Sebastian and held him close while he sang quietly.

"If there's anything you need, all you have to do is say. You know you satisfy everything in me... Together forever and never to part. Together forever we two...Can't you hear me, I'm saying I want you for the rest of my life... I would move heaven and earth to be together forever with you."

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"Don't forget to take a selfie near something identifiable as being on campus so you can send it to your mom and dad to show they you actually went to school," Kurt teased sweetly as he leaned up and put his arms around Sebastian's neck and kissed him. "I love you."

"I will take a selfie." He pulled Kurt closer and held him close. "I love you, mon ange. I'll see you later."

Kurt was left alone in the apartment. It felt really strange. Not being good at doing nothing, Kurt set out to clean the apartment and do everyone's laundry.

His mind started jumping from topic to topic. One thing that popped into his mind was that Lisette was arriving in a week and they didn't have any extra bedding. That needed to be dealt with quickly. She'd only be staying two days, then ten days later she'd be back to stay an additional three days with them. She was flying in for Fashion Week in New York and added a few days to the beginning and end of her flight, costing nothing extra for Vogue and giving her the chance to visit.

He managed to get everything done and leave to be at work at noon.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"So how were your classes?" Kurt asked as they ate dinner.

"Well, the good news for me is that my Spanish lit professor is actually from Spain, making it a lot easier for me to understand her since she seems to have a naturally quick pace when she speaks. Some of the other students were having a bit of trouble following her. I could tell."

Sam said, "I never really thought about it mattering, but I guess it could make a big difference. I remember trying to understand Rory sometimes got hard when he would speak quickly."

Sebastian looked confused.

"He was the kid in New Directions who was an exchange student from Ireland. Anyway, if I had an English teacher from Ireland that spoke quickly, I'd have a hard time keeping up."

"People from Spain are the easiest for me to understand because that's where I studied and all of my Spanish teachers spoke with Spanish accents from the time I was eight. My French teacher was pleased to have a native speaker in class. Math was mathematical."

"Very descriptive of you," Kurt deadpanned.

"Well, you know that math and I are not friends. I will tolerate its presence in my life for one more semester. That's it."

"I am looking forward to the day I get to kick it out of my life as well," Sam said.

Kurt just laughed at the two of them. "We'll throw a 'Goodbye to Math' party that day. Maybe I'll draw math symbols on a piñata and you two can whack at it until it's in pieces."

"Sounds perfect," Sam said.

"What else did you have today? You only listed three classes," Kurt stated.

"Oh. English. I have history and the film class on Fridays."

"Thanks to the laundry fairy, who obviously visited the apartment today while I was gone," Sam said winking at Kurt.

"You're welcome. While I was cleaning, I realized that we don't have any bedding for Lisette and we don't have a plan either."

"She can sleep in my room," Sam offered. "I don't mind. I can just sleep on the couch and use your bathroom while she's here. That will be better than her sleeping on the couch. I can't make someone's mom sleep on a couch. It just wouldn't be right."

"Well, that's very kind of you, Sam," Sebastian said.

"Well, then we need something for Sam to use on the couch," Kurt said.

"How about we just go to Goodwill and buy a sleeping bag?" Sam suggested. "That's the most practical thing. I'll just need a pillow and a pillowcase. I saw pillows at Costco. I'll just grab one there. And I'm sure there are pillowcases at Goodwill too."

"Well, since no one really has a lot of work to do yet, do you want to head out now and look for a sleeping bag? We might have to go more than once to find one."

"That's true," Sebastian agreed.

"Alright then. I'll pack lunches. You two do the dishes?" Sebastian suggested.

"Sounds fair," Sam said.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt snuggled into Sebastian, putting his head on his shoulder. This time Sebastian was running his hand through Kurt's hair.

"Sam is such a sweetheart. Why doesn't he have girls flocking to date him?"

"Well, Santana's first comment about him was 'He has no game.'"

"What does that even mean?"

"You're asking the wrong person. I don't understand girls at all. That was the one thing I've never figured out was why so many of the Glee guys acted like I had some sort of secret insider information on what girls like or think. I know you don't think that. It's just popped into my head. It was just one of those other weird things about being gay in Lima."

"Maybe just because you got along with the girls?"

"I got along with the girls because they didn't perceive me as a threat and reject me without even trying to get to know me. And I'm not really as hard to get along with as the guys seemed to think. They just never gave me a chance."

"Their loss." Sebastian kissed the top of Kurt's head.

"Back to your question. Maybe having 'game' is being confident? He lacks self-confidence and maybe that's a turn off to girls? Or maybe he was just too much of a sci fi geek? I don't know. I hope he meets a nice girl in college or if he meets one this year, that she's planning to stay here for college - to at least give their relationship a chance of working out."

"I hope so too."

"I can see him cozied up by a fireplace with a girl snuggled in his arms who enjoys reading art history books and novels to him out loud - someone with a melodic voice who is enjoyable to listen to. And who is secretly or not-so-secretly into sci fi."

Sebastian laughed. "Sounds perfect."

Sebastian piled the pillows against the headboard, turned his light off and leaned back and motioned for Kurt to come sit between his legs and lean back. "I think we should try that out sometime. I'll read to you and you can read to me. But not tonight."

Kurt turned his light off and sat where Sebastian wanted him to and he leaned back, letting Sebastian hold him.

"What you sang last night meant so much to me."

"I'm glad you liked it. I meant it you know."

"Mmm hmm," he said as he nuzzled Kurt's neck. He lifted his head up. "I have a song for you too. Well, it's only part of a song. I don't know the verses." He started to sing.

"I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling. Gotta make you understand. Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down... never gonna say goodbye..."

When he finished singing the chorus a couple of times, he nuzzled back into Kurt's neck and said, "You are amazing and every day I wake up so glad that you are mine and I'm yours. I love you." Kurt turned his head and slid over a little and tipped Sebastian's face toward his and kissed him.


	24. Chapter 24

Sebastian decided to go with Kurt to his registration on Tuesday. He hadn't actually visited the campus yet. Kurt had only been there the once to see his academic advisor. They arrived early and went to the parking facilities office first and got the hangtag for Kurt's truck so they didn't have to park in the metered lot all day. They walked around for a while looking at the map and figuring out where most of Kurt's classes would be and where would be the best place to park.

Kurt showed up to the registration area at his appointed time with the list of courses that he needed to take that he and his advisor had created. Two hours later, Kurt was no closer to having a workable schedule. Kurt had moved to the side of the room and practically collapsed onto the floor. Sebastian sat next to him and waited to see if he wanted space or comfort. He wanted both. Kurt didn't move closer to Sebastian, but he reached out seeking Sebastian's hand. Sebastian took it.

"Is there anything anyone can do to help you, mon ange?"

"I don't know. My courses are sequential and there's like 11 courses I have to take and I can't get my schedule to fit into my work schedule at the garage. There are sections that would work, but they're full." Kurt was on the verge of tears. He took a few deep, relaxing breaths, scooted closer to Sebastian and leaned against him. "I need to figure out who is in charge here so I can see if anyone can help me."

Sebastian stood and pulled Kurt up and then into a hug. "Let's do it."

"After asking around, Kurt finally found someone. He was taken back into a quieter area and he explained his situation."

"I can't quit my job. I'm paying half the expenses on our apartment and all three of us will end up homeless."

"I understand. There's got to be a way to fix this." The man looked through the advisor's list and attempted to create a schedule, just the way Kurt had been doing.

"I've been working at it for two hours. I can't work fewer hours or switch shifts. This is a professional position. Of course, I have sick days and a few personal days I will be able to use in case of an actual educational emergency like the only time I can take a test is when I'm supposed to be at work. But I was hired specifically for this shift."

"Okay. I see the dilemma you're facing. You'll need to go one level up from me and then you'll be able to resolve this.

"Thank you. Who should I see?"

"Just sit here and I'll call someone down to meet you here." He and Sebastian sat and waited for about fifteen minutes.

Ms. Myers walked up to the table. "Well, if it isn't my favorite overachieving scholarship recipient," she said with a laugh.

"Ms. Myers. It's good to see you, too," Kurt said. "This is my boyfriend, Sebastian." They both nodded in acknowledgement.

"So, I hear that you can't get the classes to work for you. You're in luck because I can make them work. Let's figure out the sections you need so that you can fit everything in with your work schedule."

Twenty minutes later, they had a working schedule. Ms. Meyers went with him to the registration area and gave her authorization to override the "full" status on the sections that Kurt needed.

"Don't worry about this causing problems. None of the professors will know which person is the 'extra' one," she laughed. "And plus, it's really likely that at least one person in the 'full' sections will opt to take a different section anyway. Really, it's not a big deal. I wish I had told you to come get me when you arrived today. I could have saved you a lot of frustration. I apologize for that."

"It's fine. It's fixed now. Thank you."

"You're quite welcome. Did you pick up your bookstore voucher yet?"

"No, I hadn't gotten that far."

"Well, follow me and we'll get that on the way back to my office and you can head over to the bookstore."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"I appreciate the offer of frozen yogurt, but I'm going to be late for work if we stop anywhere. We didn't bring our lunches and I don't even have time to go home and pick mine up. Maybe you can drop me off and go home and bring my lunch back and I can eat it in bits and parts while I work."

"I can do that." Sebastian reached out and put his hand on Kurt's leg. Kurt covered it with his own, interlaced their fingers, closed his eyes and tried to relax on the ride to the shop. "At least I put my coveralls in the back this morning."

Sebastian pulled up to the employee entrance. He gently slid his hand out of Kurt's and caressed Kurt's cheek. He leaned over the center console and Kurt responded by leaning in as well. Sebastian ran his thumb across Kurt's lips and then kissed him. "I love you. I'll be back with your lunch." Kurt grabbed his overalls and got out. He waved to Sebastian as he drove off.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After Sebastian delivered Kurt's lunch and returned home, he stacked Kurt's textbooks on his lower shelf in two stacks since he had no idea how to organize them properly. He figured that Kurt would need to go shopping Thursday after he got a list of required dancewear, so he looked for a local place to buy it.

He spent a half hour updating his previous tutoring flyer and saved it to a flash drive to print copies on bright colored paper on his way to pick Kurt up. He was going to attempt to get six clients for the semester. He still had some money left from his previous jobs, but not a lot. He calculated that if he could get six clients for an hour a week that he could make enough to pay for a plane ticket for Kurt to go to France with him for Christmas. He knew it would be a struggle to get him to accept it, but he was going to try anyway. He knew that Kurt would definitely not accept it if his mom or dad paid for a ticket, but maybe, just maybe he could persuade Kurt to let him pay for it. He wanted to go home for Christmas, but he wanted Kurt with him.

Christmas would be a problem for the foreseeable future since spending a lot of money to fly to France for a few days would make no sense. And Kurt would probably want to go to see his family. Maybe. Definitely something they needed to discuss. He'd talk to his mom about it first. Maybe she wasn't planning for them to come.

He read his history textbook for the rest of the afternoon since Kurt had just cleaned everything the previous day, there was nothing else left for him to do.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian was waiting for Kurt outside the employee exit when he got off. He took his hand and twirled him around and pulled him into a hug and kissed him. "I missed you."

"Unhand me," Kurt admonished teasingly, trying to pull away. "You'll get gross. I'm disgusting."

"There's a shower at home. I'm not afraid," Sebastian laughed. "I love you too much to care." And he pulled him back close and kissed him again. Kurt started to relax. Sebastian let him go and took his hand. He walked him to the car and opened his door for him. Kurt looked at him strangely. "Your chariot awaits, good sir," Sebastian said as he nodded, attempting to behave like a limo driver. Kurt went along with it because he could see that Sebastian was just trying to lighten the mood, not treat him like a girl, which he had never done.

"Thank you, Smythe," Kurt said, trying to play along. "Is there anything else on my itinerary for the day or am I free to return home?"

"I'm afraid there's one more stop, sir," Sebastian continued in his stuffy voice.

"Then, on with it. I'm quite ripe and in need of bathing," Kurt managed to get out without laughing.

"Yes, sir," Sebastian said, leaving Kurt to guess whether he was agreeing with his need for a bath or just getting on with whatever it was he had in mind.

"Just close your eyes, sir and relax."

Kurt rolled his eyes before closing them. A few minutes later, the car came to a stop, but Kurt didn't open his eyes. Sebastian left the car running and came back a couple of minutes later. He took Kurt's hand in his, "Mon ange, open your eyes."

Kurt blinked a few times and realized that he had actually fallen asleep. He took a deep breath and looked at Sebastian, who had a cup of frozen yogurt in his hand. He handed it to Kurt.

"You put chocolate shavings and raspberries on it, just like I like."

Sebastian smiled.

Kurt took the cup from him and started to eat it. "This is so good. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Let's get home before Sam makes dinner all by himself because we're not home."

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"So, your mom is arriving tomorrow when no one will be here. How did that happen?" Kurt asked.

"I'm not sure. She was supposed to fly in and arrive really early so one of us could go get her, but her flight doesn't land until 9:00."

"Okay. The school knows that I am living on my own. I will just call in tomorrow morning and tell them the truth - that your mom's flight got changed and you're in New Haven and can't go get her at the new time. A flight being delayed is not unheard of. Plus, I'll go to school once I bring her here and they'll see that I can be trusted not to play hooky all day."

"I don't see any other option," Kurt said.

"Well, she's seen a photo of you. And I'll text her and let her know."

"I'll wash everything on the bed and remake it in the morning before I go get her. That way if she wants to sleep while she's here, she can. I know I can't sleep on planes. She might be tired."

"Thanks, Sam," Sebastian said.

"So, for dinner tomorrow, she's treating all of us to the Chinese place we like," Sebastian said.

"Ooh, yum," Sam said. "That's nice of her."

"She'll take us somewhere the next night too. We just have to pick a place," Sebastian said.

"We'll figure something out," Kurt said.

"She's being picked up at 8:00 that evening."

"Good to know. So someplace fairly quick."

"She won't be here long," Sam said.

"Oh, she'll be back the next weekend and stay longer. She has to be in New York until the 14th or 15th. Then she'll be back."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Sebastian left for school the next morning and Sam did laundry as soon as he got up. He took a set of his towels to Kurt and Sebastian's bathroom and washed a set of the guest towels and hung them in his bathroom. He remade the bed and left to go get Lisette.

She made it through customs easily and they found each other. Sam was surprised that her English was flawless. He figured that he'd have a hard time understanding her. He didn't ask, but planned to ask Kurt or Sebastian.

He gave her a quick tour of the apartment. He showed her the lunch they had left for her in the fridge and headed off to school.

Lisette took a long shower and a nap and spent time looking around their apartment at Sam's paintings and the photographs. She took one of Sebastian's books of the shelf and settled in to read until everyone came home.

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Sebastian made it home around 5:00 because he hadn't found anyone to tutor yet, which he was hoping to do from 4:00-5:00. He hung his backpack on the hall tree bench and went into the living room and sat down next to Lisette.

" _Hey, sweetie. Your place is lovely. Really. It has a really calm feeling to it. I like it here._ "

" _Me too, Mom_."

" _You have really made the place feel like home. Sam's paintings are really good. And your kitchen is completely functional and colorful. I like how you've used neutrals and then bright accent colors in every area_."

" _Well, the kitchen is colorful because we bought pretty much all of it at secondhand places all around town. It was how Kurt and I spent a lot of our time when we first got here. I think we were just used to getting up and going out every day because that's we'd done in Paris. Plus, trying to cook with a barren kitchen was hard. We really only eat out once a week and we all cook together the rest of the time. I'm even packing my lunch every day for the first time in my life. I own a lunch box_." He laughed.

" _Well, good for you. I'm sure your dad appreciates your frugality. He's doing better. He said he talked to you._ "

" _He did. We're working on it._ "

" _Good. This morning, Sam was a real sweetheart just like Kurt said. Very gentlemanly and helpful._ "

" _Yep, that's Sam. He's great. He and I have become good friends over the last couple of months._ "

" _I'm glad. Have you guys met anyone else?_ "

" _Well at this karaoke place we go to, we met a guy named Elliott and his two roommates, Dani and Charlene. They go to school here, but not the same school as Kurt. We're working on getting to know them. We went to the park last weekend with the three of them._ "

" _Well, that's a start._ "

" _Yeah. And Sam, in his awesomeness, put keyed locks on our bedroom doors so when he has people over they can't go into our room._ "

" _I saw those. I just thought the apartment came with them._ "

" _No, but if you need a key for whatever reason, there's a spare here._ " Sebastian got up and showed Lisette where it was.

" _Good to know._ "

" _I told him what happened._ "

" _That was brave of you._ "

" _I'm going to continue with counseling, but I need to find someone. I talked to a couple of the counselors at school briefly, but I didn't really feel like they were a good fit. I was going to start looking here in Hartford, but first I'm going to see if Dr. Morris can recommend someone. I might just see if she'd agree to do the sessions over the phone or Skype since I'm an established patient._ "

" _That's a good idea, probably the best one since you already trust her and she's been so helpful. How are you and Kurt doing?_ "

" _Really well. He's really gentle and kind with me. I don't mean that to sound like's patronizing. He's not treating me like I'm a broken child or something. He's just genuinely kind and gentle - just like he was in Paris._ "

" _He loves you._ "

" _I know. He tells me and shows me. I love him too._ "

" _I'm really happy for you._ "

" _Me too. As much as I wanted all of it to be real, it still sort of felt like we were in a fairy tale when we were in Paris. No work, no responsibilities, just having the time to do anything we wanted. I was sort of afraid of what would happen to us when that all ended - when we got here and he had to work so much and I'd be alone again. Sam has been here more than Kurt has this summer, which helped because at least I was only alone for like six hours a day, occasionally more, but on those days I went out. I've been to the library a lot._ "

" _That's good._ "

" _Yeah. And like I said, it gave me and Sam time to get to know each other too. He's been through a lot and he's really understanding. I can see why they hit it off even though outwardly they appear quite different. Now, Sam and I are friends with each other, not just friends with Kurt like we were initially._ "

" _How are your classes?_ "

" _Eh. They're classes. I don't love or hate them. Well of course, I don't like the math class._ "

" _Of course._ "

" _But time will tell. I've not even been to my Friday classes yet. For some weird reason, last Friday we went to our Monday classes. It must have something to do with the school calendar that I didn't really look at closely yet. Maybe it's so all the classes meet the same number of time or something? I did manage to get all of my classes on Monday/Wednesday/Friday, so I don't have to drive to New Haven on Tuesdays or Thursdays._ "

" _Oh, well, that will really help. You can get all your work done here at the apartment while they're both gone all day._ "

" _That's the plan. I'm trying to find some people to tutor. I put up flyers today. If I can get six people in the next week or two, I'll have enough for a plane ticket to France by winter break._ "

" _You know that I'll pay for you to come home at Christmas. Or your dad would, whichever._ "

" _Yeah, but I'm pretty positive that Kurt won't let someone else pay for another ticket for him. That was like a one-time thing. He was desperate to get to go to France at least once while his grandparents were alive. I'm not holding my breath that he'd let someone else pay again. He worried himself over where the furniture came from until I finally gave in and told him._ "

" _He's very stubborn, isn't he?_ "

" _I think he'd prefer the term 'determined'_ ," Sebastian laughed.

" _So, I take it that he's not letting his dad pay for anything._ "

" _Not that I'm aware of. He never actually talks about money. He just works his butt off, pays his half of stuff online and covers a third of the bill when we go to Costco each week. He did let me buy him a frozen yogurt yesterday. Small steps._ "

" _I guess._ "

" _I think the money issue is deeper than just not wanting help from other people. I'd say it's just a control issue. He had so little control over his life and his finances and spending were like the only thing he had 100% control over. Since his money was his, no one could tell him what he could or couldn't do with it. He was very controlled about it. He's very generous, but plans very carefully. He's still paying for Sam's phone. You were there that night, but I don't know if you actually looked at the agreement he came to with Dad. Kurt pays half of everything, except the electricity and food. I know math isn't my strong suit, but it only takes 3rd grade math to figure out that he only has maybe $100 left a month after he pays his share of the bills. So, he won't be able to save up enough to buy a ticket by winter break on his own._ "

" _How many hours a week will he work now that school has started?_ "

" _Twenty._ "

" _He's going to be exhausted. His classes won't be like yours. You have what? Five?_ "

" _Six, actually._ "

" _Okay, six. How many does he have?_ "

" _I only realized that yesterday when I went with him to register for classes. It was supposed to be a fun day for the two of us. He was off until 3:00 and I was going to use my powers of persuasion, if possible, to take him out for lunch and just spend the afternoon together after he registered, but it was a total bust. He had to get his academic advisor to override the computer to allow him to enroll in class sections that were full already. He spent hours trying to make it work before he finally just walked away and sat on the floor against the way to regroup instead of melting down. He has 11 classes to answer your question._ "

" _I knew music majors in college. They were busy people. They have so many performance-based classes that are like 1- or 2-credit classes, and while they may not have a lot of reading or assignments for those classes, they have a lot of prep work and rehearsing for them._ "

" _I didn't realize that until yesterday. I should have gone on his school website and looked through the requirements. I'm going to do that in the next few days. I never gave any thought to how it might be different from a regular B.A. program._ "

" _You should consider telling him your plan. I think he'll like it even less if you spring it on him at the last minute._ " She looked at her phone to check the time. " _What's the plan once Kurt and Sam get here?_ "

" _Well, you said you wanted to take us out and we've only really been to a few places. So, we've decided on Chinese. It's really good._ "

" _Okay. Chinese it is then. What else has been going on?_ "

" _Well, I told you that I met Kurt's parents, but I didn't tell you what happened with his stalker ex,_ " Sebastian told her the whole story.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

In between his classes, Kurt was texting with Thad, Nick, and Jeff. He managed to arrange a surprise party for Sebastian for the next Friday, which was Sebastian's birthday. The three of them would be able to get to Hartford by 5:30. So, Kurt had party planning to do now that he knew they could make it. He knew that Lisette wouldn't be back until Saturday or Sunday, depending on when the events that she had to attend were over.

Kurt managed to get home before Sam and he was in the shower when Sam arrived.

"We'll leave as soon as Kurt's ready," Sebastian said.

"Alright. I'll wash up and pack our lunches for tomorrow while we wait for him."

A few minutes later, Kurt emerged from the bedroom. He walked over to help Sam with the lunches only to see that Sam was done. He opened the fridge and shut it after Sam put them in. Kurt hugged him. "You're awesome. Thanks."

"No problem. We ready?"

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"You're going to show me your photos from Fashion Week when you come back, right?"

"Well..."

"You know I won't tell a soul."

"Of course. I was just teasing you." Kurt noticed that she was wearing the bee brooch. He was in such a rush earlier, he hadn't noticed. She saw him looking at it and just smiled and gently touched it.

"So, Sebastian's birthday is coming up and I haven't gotten any gift ideas from him. I may have to resort to stealth and get ideas from your friends if you don't give me some," she said to Sebastian, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I don't need anything for my birthday. You know that."

"Need, want. Two different things."

"Well, I did tell you what I want earlier - when we were talking at home."

She changed the subject so that Kurt wouldn't ask anything. "Sam, when's your birthday? I know Kurt's was at the end of May."

"Mine's at the beginning of May. I'm just a few weeks shy of being a year younger than Kurt, which is actually helpful this year. It helps people not realize that I'm repeating a grade."

"Do you like your new school?"

"Actually, I really do. I like it better than the other three I've attended. I mean I'm glad I went to McKinley because I met Kurt and I enjoyed Glee a lot, but other things there were awful. I hated being in Kentucky in general and I honestly didn't even try there. The school I went to in Tennessee wasn't horrible, but this school is a lot better."

"Well, that's good." she said. "How did your classes go today, Kurt?"

"Well, it was definitely different. I've not taken ballet since I was about four, since being a boy in ballet in Lima wasn't acceptable. I'm going to have to work hard in there. At least being a cheerleader and being flexible will help. My other classes were just a lot of 'what you'll need to do for this class' introductions today. I won't really know for a few days. I do have to get a dance belt ASAP. I'm not even sure where to get one."

"If mine fits, you can order the exact same one online and just borrow mine if yours doesn't come soon enough for class."

"Thanks. I need to go shopping for the 'correct' shorts for class as well. Do you need anything Sam? Now that you've been there for a week is there anything you have been told to get?"

"The resource teacher suggested a program for my computer and suggested that I get an iPad, but that's not in my budget for now. So, I'll just use them when I'm at school. She also wants me to go to this special optometrist and she says that my insurance should cover it."

"Okay. Well, just make an appointment for a Tuesday or Thursday and you can take my car since I'll be home," Sebastian said.

"Thanks."

They continued their conversation until the three teens had finally managed to eat their fill and the four of them went back to the apartment.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They watched a movie when they got back to the apartment, but Lisette and Kurt fell asleep halfway through. Sebastian got Kurt up first since he was sleeping with his head in his lap. Once Kurt was up and on his way, Sebastian got Lisette up too. Sam was waiting with a sleeping bag and pillow and he laid them down as soon as Lisette was up.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian got into bed in the dark and he had barely managed to get all the way in the bed before Kurt was reaching out for him.

"Hold me?"

"Always. What's wrong, mon ange?"

"Too much. It's all too much right now. But I want to stay grounded. Be present."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Just hold me."

"How?"

"Any way that you're comfortable with."

"Do you want to be the little spoon?"

"Actually, how about a massage? You're okay with touching me that way, right?"

"Sure. I'll go get your lotion."

Sebastian rubbed his shoulders, upper back, arms and his hands.

"Oh, God, that feels good. Can you do my lower back too? If not, it's okay. The rest feels amazing."

Sebastian scooted back and added more lotion to his hands and rubbed his lower back.

"Right there. I think I must have pulled something."

Sebastian worked the area carefully, trying to focus on the fact that he was relieving Kurt's pain not on the fact that he was nervous touching Kurt. He decided to get a heat pad for future use.

Kurt turned over. 'You're really good at that. I feel better. I didn't realize how much that spot was bothering me I guess. Can I do you now?"

"Don't you want to sleep?"

"No, not really. I want to give you a massage too."

"Okay."

Kurt pushed up to sitting and leaned in and kissed Sebastian. "It's okay if you don't want me to."

"No, no. I do want you to." He slipped his shirt off and lay down.

Kurt started on his shoulders and neck. "You're more relaxed than the last time I did this."

"Well, I'm more relaxed in general now."

"Mmm. I see. Is it okay if rub your lower back too? If you say yes, and don't like it, I'll stop."

"Okay. I mean yes."

Kurt felt him tense briefly, but then relax. "Do you want me to keep going?"

"Yes, please. It feels great." When Kurt was done, Sebastian said, "I think you turned me into a jellyfish. I'm just a pile of ooze."

Kurt put his hands on Sebastian's shoulders and leaned forward, his lips almost touching Sebastian's neck. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah."

"If you change your mind, just say so." Kurt started kissing Sebastian's neck while caressing Sebastian's shoulders. He stopped after just a couple of minutes and slid back and kissed down Sebastian's spine.

"That tickles."

"Does that mean you want me to stop?"

"No."

Kurt kissed his way back up, just gentle closed-mouth kisses. "Still good?"

"Mmm. Yeah."

"Well, I think if I do anything to relax you any more, you will turn into a pile of goo."

Kurt moved to lie down next to him. He only fit on his side. He ran his free hand up and down Sebastian's back gently. Sebastian realized that Kurt couldn't get comfortable because he was too close to the edge of the bed and he rolled back toward his side of the bed and lay on his side. Kurt scooted away from the edge and closer to him. "Can I kiss you?" Kurt asked.

"Always."

"When we do anything new, I will ask or you can ask too. This is all new to me too."

They lay kissing, holding hands in front of their chests. "Okay, I have a question for you tonight," Sebastian said as he gently ended the kisses.

"Ask me," he said and gave Sebastian a quick peck.

"Have you always slept wearing a shirt?"

"Usually. In our old house, my room was in the basement and it never really got very hot down there, even in the summer. In the new house, the AC works really well and Finn used to have people over without me knowing about it and I've never felt comfortable walking around shirtless when there are other people around. Why?"

"Well, until you started sleeping in my bed, I mostly slept shirtless unless it was really cold. I also slept just in my underwear frequently."

"So, you've been wearing a lot more clothes to sleep in than you're used to for the last three months."

"Yeah. I didn't want you to be uncomfortable, so I went out and got some pajama pants and undershirts before you came to stay with me."

"I appreciate that, but you want to go back to sleeping without a shirt, if I'm okay with it?"

"Are you?"

"Sure. And if you want, I'll give it a try. I can't say whether I'll like it or not unless I give it a try."

Sebastian kissed him again. "Alright then, big spoon or little spoon?"

"Umm. Little spoon." He kissed him one last time and turned over facing away from Sebastian.

"This might be harder than I thought," Sebastian said, restraining himself from running his hands all over Kurt's chest and by keeping his fingers interlocked with Kurt's.

"What do you mean?"

"You're just too damn sexy for me to keep myself from wanting to touch you."

"Well, we can turn over the other way and I'll face the same struggle. Or we can agree that the touching is fine or we can put our shirts back on. Your choice."

Kurt unlaced his fingers and opened Sebastian's hand and placed it on his chest, placing his own hand on top. "I'm fine with you touching me, but if it makes you uncomfortable, then I'll put my shirt back on and you can sleep with yours off and I'll be the little spoon."

"You're sure."

"Absolutely."

"Okay then." Sebastian hesitantly moved his hand and gently caressed Kurt's chest before retaking his hand and interlacing their fingers. He scooted up so that his chest was against Kurt's back, but trying to keep his hips back.

"Scoot up like normal. It's okay. I'm not freaked out by the fact that your body is reacting normally. Actually, to be honest, I like it. You remember how afraid I was that you'd never find me attractive."

"I remember. That was an unforgettable night."

"I mean if it's bothering you that much, you can go take care of it in the bathroom and come back."

Sebastian laughed nervously. "Oh, God that's embarrassing."

Kurt turned back over to face him. "It's normal. I have the same issue going on. I have had on quite a few too many occasions to count. That's usually when I volunteer to be the little spoon."

"I didn't know."

"That's because I didn't want you to feel pressured to do something about it. It's fine. Our bodies react. It's natural. You are incredibly sexy to me and yeah, my body tells me so - frequently."

"Really?"

"You have no idea," Kurt laughed and kissed him.

"Well, you are clearly gorgeous and I guess I'm still so hesitant because I told myself 'no' for so many months... like eight months."

"Well, you need a new memo posted to your brain ASAP that says 'YES!' in capital letters with five exclamation points."

"I'll work on that," he said laughing.

Kurt started kissing him in earnest. "I love you and you're super sexy," he said between the kisses.

Sebastian was having a hard time keeping up with the kisses because he was laughing still.

"Well, now that we've determined that neither of us suffer from ED, which way do you want to sleep? I have school in the morning, Mr. Laughing Pants."

That made Sebastian laugh even harder. But the tension was broken. "Turn back over and go back to being the little spoon." This time he scooted up behind Kurt without hesitating and wrapped his arms around Kurt and put his hand on Kurt's heart. "I love you so much. You're a lot of fun. Thanks for not being really weird about all of this."

"Hey, you don't need to thank me. Being decent isn't a reason to thank me, but I'm glad we're okay now. I love you too, so very much. I feel so much better now."

"I'm glad. I do too."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next morning when Sebastian was still in bed, Kurt quickly grabbed his red sharpie and a post it note and wrote "YES!" on it and stuck it to the cover of the book he knew that Sebastian was reading.

He dropped Sam off at school and headed to campus. Sebastian and Lisette started the day off at Costco just because Sebastian wanted to buy a heat pad and show his mom the really nice selection of food where they shopped. He wanted her to see that they were taking care of themselves. She worried enough as it was.

After that, they spent the morning and early afternoon driving around town and going to some of the shops that he and Kurt had found around town just for the fun of it.

" _This fabric would look really good with the fabric Kurt used on the pillows in your room._ "

" _You're right. It would. He bought that fabric in London at one of the flea markets._ "

" _I think we should get it. It would look great in your room. He said something about making curtains at some point. There's a lot of it. Let me measure it out. Hold your arm out._ " She used Sebastian as a make shift measuring stick.

" _What are you doing?_ "

" _Well, you're six feet tall. People's arm spans are the same as their height. So, from the tip of your fingers to your nose should be one yard._ " She finished the process. " _There's 5 yards and they're only asking $10. You'll never find decent fabric for $2 a yard in a store. I'm buying it._ "

" _Yes, Mom,_ " Sebastian said like a scolded 6-year old, teasing her.

" _Did you see anything else in here?_ "

" _Just this._ " He had been carrying a whisk around.

" _Cool whisk. I like the balls on the tips. It's like the ones on that cooking show. Let's go pay then_."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They went out to lunch at a place across the street, just because it was there. The food was decent. Even though American food wasn't Lisette's favorite, she enjoyed it.

" _What's that smile on your face about?_ "

" _Oh, just something Kurt said last night._ "

" _Uh huh,_ " she teased.

" _Really,_ " he insisted.

" _Okay. I'm glad he makes you smile. It seems to me that you've found your prince._ "

" _He'd laugh if he heard you say that. But I agree with you._ "

On the way home, Lisette noticed an Indian place and they decided to go back and have dinner there after Sam and Kurt got home.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam spoke up after Kurt had walked into the bedroom and shut the door. "Why is he walking like that?"

"He pulled something in his back yesterday. I tried massaging it last night and it was better, but I bet he repulled it today. I bought a heating pad when I was out with my mom."

"I hate it when they have him doing the tire changes. He ends up doing that when they run out of cars that actually need repaired."

"He's not a wimp or anything, but he's not a big guy and those tires are heavy."

"Yeah, and pulled back muscles won't help him in ballet this semester."

"I wonder if the owner knows that Kurt can do books. I'm going to ask him."

A few minutes later, Kurt came out of the bedroom dressed, but his hair was still wet. "Does anyone care if I just go like this? I just need to sit down."

"Nope. You look fine," Sam said. "Joe made you do tire rotations today didn't he?"

"Yeah."

"Does the owner know that you can do the books?"

"I don't remember."

"Remind him, please. You need your back in good shape for school," Sebastian suggested.

"I'll see what I can do," Kurt said.

"Or volunteer for the oil changes. Anything, besides more tires changes and rotations for the next week so your back can heal," Lisette said.

"Yes, Mom," Kurt said with a big smile on his face, sounding very much like Sebastian had that morning in the secondhand store.

She laughed. "Did you see the fabric?"

"What fabric?"

Sebastian got up and retrieved it from their room. "I left it on the back of your desk chair, but here it is."

"Ooh, that's nice. That will make nice curtains."

"That's what I thought," Lisette said.

"I'll wash, dry and iron it for you Saturday morning while you're at work. Then it will be ready for you to use your magic on it and turn it into curtains whenever you have time."

"Do you want curtains too, Sam?"

"It doesn't matter. I don't have my bed under the window like you guys do, so if there's any cold air leaking in this winter, I won't really notice."

"Fair enough. But if you change your mind, let me know."

"Will do."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The car pulled up for Lisette about fifteen minutes after they got back from the restaurant that evening. She hugged each of them goodbye and Sebastian carried her suitcase out to the car.

" _Have a good time, Mom. I'll see you next week._ "

" _Bye, sweetie._ " She hugged him again before she got in the car.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian didn't say anything about finding Kurt's note, but he had been thinking about it all day, as evidenced by his mom asking about the goofy smile on his face earlier. He came out of the bathroom after his shower into a completely dark room. He could hear faint music playing. He walked slowly toward the bed even though he was certain that nothing was blocking his path.

"What's with the darkness?"

"I'm ready to snuggle."

"I have a counter offer - a massage followed by you lying on the heating pad while we snuggle."

"I accept your counter offer," Kurt said in his best business-like tone.

"Close your eyes for a minute. I have to go get the heating pad and that's hard to do in the dark." He came right back, plugged heating pad in, turned the light back off and got in bed. Kurt had turned face down in the center of the bed while Sebastian was gone.

Sebastian mustered up his courage and thought about the note Kurt had left him and started kissing Kurt's shoulders, then began the message. Kurt was letting out low moaning noises when he worked on his lower back. "You've got to tell Joe you're hurt, mon ange. You just can't let this get worse."

"I'll tell him. That feels really good."

Sebastian continued to rub Kurt's back gently and started to sing. "When I first saw you, I already knew there was something inside of you. Something that I thought I would never find, angel of mine. I look at you, looking at me. Now I know why they say the best things are free. Gonna love you boy. You are so fine, angel of mine..."

When Sebastian finished singing he pressed more gentle kisses into Kurt's back.

"That was beautiful, Bas. Really. I've never heard it."

"I'm glad you liked it. I meant all of it. I found it when I was looking for songs to sing at the karaoke place, but it was just too personal. Flip over. The heating pad is ready." Kurt lay on his back and Sebastian positioned the heating pad under his back. "I'll be right back." Sebastian came back with one of his undershirts folded. "Turn on your side for a minute." He put the undershirt over the heating pad. "There. I forgot something to cover it with so it wouldn't burn your back." He turned over and set the timer on his phone, so they couldn't accidentally leave the heating pad on all night.

"Does it hurt in the position you're in?"

"Not if I pull my knees up some."

Sebastian got up and grabbed their throw pillows and put them under Kurt's knees. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you."

"Any time. So, the snuggling. I'll try laying my head on your shoulder, but if that makes your back worse, just say so." Sebastian snuggled up to him to try it. Kurt ran his fingers through Sebastian's hair like usual. Only this time, Kurt was shirtless and Sebastian decided to be bold. He started tracing patterns on Kurt's chest like usual, but it was so much more sensual without the t-shirt. "Your skin is so soft."

"You know what I want to do sometime, if you're up for it?"

"What?"

"I want to play connect the dots with your freckles. If you'll let me do it, I'll use a washable marker."

"Really? I always thought they were unattractive."

"You're kidding, right? They're adorable." He paused. "And hot," he added quietly.

"Well, in that case, I'll get you a marker tomorrow," he laughed.

"Really? You'll let me do it?"

"Why not?"

"Well, you've been so reserved, I figured you'd think I was being too forward and turn me down."

"I thought a lot about what you said last night. I thought I needed to talk to Dr. Morris, but I think hearing it from you was even better."

"Hearing what?"

"That feeling the way I do about you is normal. That my body responding to you the way it does is normal. And that you aren't freaked out by that. That you actually like it."

"Of course I like it." Kurt tipped Sebastian chin up and kissed him. "What's not to like about knowing that you find me attractive?"

"Nothing. That's the whole point. I just needed to hear you say it for whatever reason." He was quiet for a while, just tracing "I love you" on Kurt's chest. "You know, maybe it goes back to a lot of things before we were dating and then that night when you were so vulnerable and looked so frightened, I got even more nervous that I would scare you off by touching you."

"Oh, I can see how that could be. I was terrified that night."

"I know. You were trembling."

"But not because I was afraid you'd touch me. Quite the opposite. I was afraid that you'd find me unattractive and never want to touch me."

"We talk all the time, but I think we need to spend some time talking about these things. And when you suggested that last night, you were right. It's a good idea to revisit what we're comfortable with. When you first asked me, you didn't list me touching you or you touching me, so I didn't think you were comfortable with the idea."

"I wasn't at the time. I didn't want us to cloud our judgment with too many hormones. I wanted to spend time really getting to know you. And I'm glad we did spend all that time getting to know each other. We just have to get a little more accustomed to talking about intimate things. I didn't want to cause you to be uncomfortable or make you feel like I was pushing you, so I've avoided bringing it up. Remember me saying that I was willing to follow your lead?"

"I remember that. I was scared I'd push you away. You were scared that you'd push me too far and make me uncomfortable. But I'm not afraid now. Are you?"

"No, you've made it quite clear how you feel. You still call me gorgeous and beautiful, so I didn't think you had changed your mind. I'm secure in our relationship. I know you love me. I was concerned that I was doing something to make you nervous."

"I was freaking myself out I guess. Not the first time. Probably not the last."

"We've all done it to ourselves at one time or another."

"So taking our own sage advice, we'll talk to each other about these issues with courage."

"Yes, definitely. And to recap, in baseball lingo, the favorite of all males, it seems, we have decided to move to first base," Kurt said.

"If first base is sleeping without shirts and touching the exposed skin, then yes."

"Agreed." Kurt gently tipped Sebastian's chin up again and kissed him. "Please don't be afraid to tell me what you want and like from now on, okay?"

"Okay. What I want and like is you."

"Cute, very cute. And I want and like you too."

"I'll be serious. All I want is this. This is perfect. Me in your arms or you in my arms, snuggling close. Snuggling really is my favorite hobby now."

"Mmm. Mine too. Even when my day is awful, like yesterday, coming home to you washes that away like the tide when we're at the beach."

"Let's get in a position where we can actually sleep."

"Okay, I say little spoon because I woke up this morning and my back felt better than it did when I went to sleep. I think having you behind me helped."

Sebastian let Kurt up and he positioned himself comfortably and within a few minutes, they were both asleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Everyone was up and out of the house early the next morning. Kurt dropped Sam off at school again and then went back to the apartment complex to talk to the manager.

"Mr. Hummel, what can I do for you this morning?"

"Are we allowed to make copies of the key to the apartment?"

"No. No one around here will duplicate the keys, but I can issue you another one if you need it. It's a $10 fee for a lost key."

"Okay." He pulled out a $10 bill and handed it over.

"Give me a minute, please." She came back with a key and handed it to him.

"Thank you," Kurt said and turned to leave.

"Have a nice day, Mr. Hummel."

"You too."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt took the key and went back to the apartment and grabbed an envelope. He taped the key to an index card and placed it into the envelope and copied down an address from his phone. He dropped the envelope in the outgoing mail slot at the apartment complex and headed off to campus. Once he arrived, he texted Thad and told him about the key and told him they'd make more specific plans over the weekend.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian thought about what his mom had said about not keeping the tutoring a secret from Kurt. He knew she was right. Kurt liked small surprises like frozen yogurts treats or an unexpected foot massage or someone making his favorite meal, but he didn't like big surprises that he couldn't properly plan for. If Sebastian wanted to take Kurt back to France for winter break, he'd have to get his clients quickly and present his plan in a well thought out way. First off would be going onto Kurt's school's website and reading about his degree program and the calendar.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam called the optometrist during his resource room time to set up an appointment. He had to wait a few weeks because of his limited availability. He told the resource teacher that the iPad was not a possibility and that the computer program might be a possible if he saved up for a while, but he also wanted to go visit his family over winter break because it had already been over two months since he had seen them.

She mentioned something about applying for a grant for him due to his limited income and living independently of his family's support. What he didn't know was that she had gotten a call that morning offering to pay for the computer program and an iPad for him. That person was the source of the "grant", something he didn't need to know because the donor said that the gift was to remain anonymous, but that it would arrive at the school in a few days in the teacher's name.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt had gotten up the nerve to talk to Joe, so he went to work fifteen minutes early that afternoon and talked to him about doing the books instead of tire rotations. Kurt worked on cars that needed repaired and afterwards Joe started him on the computer system to get him familiar with how they did their invoicing and he continued with that for an hour until his shift was scheduled to end. Joe checked over his work and he had done it all correctly and quickly. Joe decided that Kurt's skills were better put to use in the office than restocking the tire racks, which Kurt's back was quite grateful for. He left a stack of things for Kurt to work on Saturday morning if he finished the repairs that he was supposed to do before his shift ended.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After eating dinner together, they parted ways and spent the evenings in their rooms. Sam spent the evening working on the guitar part for the song he wanted to sing Saturday evening. He could hear singing coming from Kurt and Sebastian's room. They were practicing a duet they wanted to sing together.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian climbed into bed with a small plastic bag in his hand and handed it to Kurt.

"What's this?"

"Open it and see."

"A brown marker? Oh... really?" Kurt's eyes lit up with understanding.

Sebastian nodded and pulled the towel out from under his pillow and laid it down on the bed and then lay on top of it like a blank canvas. "Go for it."

Kurt climbed over and straddled Sebastian and just stared for a few minutes.

Sebastian looked at him questioningly.

"I'm thinking." He took the cap off and started his drawing.

Sebastian had to focus on holding still because it tickled, more so some places than others.

Kurt loved seeing him smile so much and Sebastian enjoyed watching Kurt focus so intently on where to draw a line next.

"This is exactly as fun as I thought it would be."

"Well, I'm glad you're having a good time. I can say that never in a million years would I have thought someone would find all these freckles attractive."

"Oh, I have other ideas too, but it's too soon for those," he said in his best seductive tone.

"Umm. I'm not sure if I want to know or not."

"Me neither," Kurt responded in the same tone.

Sebastian shivered. Kurt laughed.

"I love you so much. This is so fun. Okay, do you want to go see my drawing?"

"Of course."

Kurt slid off and let Sebastian go look in the mirror in the bathroom. "A dog?"

"Nope."

"A cat?"

"Nope. One more guess."

"A horse?"

"Bingo! Come back before you wash it off."

Sebastian walked back toward the bed. Kurt picked his phone up and took a picture of his artwork.

"Okay, you can wash it off now."

Sebastian took the towel with him. He came back a few minutes later with the lotion to find Kurt waiting for him with a big smile on his face.

"How long have you been thinking about doing that?"

"Umm..." Kurt was thinking to figure it out.

"Come on, tell me."

"Four months or so."

"That was before we were dating."

"It was when I came to your house the first time and we went swimming and you were shirtless. I thought the freckles were really cute and I thought about how fun it would be to play connect the dots." He blushed.

"Well, I'm glad you like them," he smiled and laughed. "Turn over, I'll give you a massage and we'll put the heating pad back on."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian and Kurt ate breakfast together before Kurt headed off to the shop. As soon as he left, Sebastian went back into their bedroom and began practicing the song that he wanted to sing to Kurt that night at the karaoke place. He also practiced his part of the song that he and Kurt were to sing together.

Kurt was doing the same thing while he was working on cars. He hadn't had a chance to practice with Sam, but he trusted him to learn the guitar part and he'd try to sneak in one run-through with Sam before they left that evening.

Once Sam got up, he practiced the song Kurt asked him to learn.

A little before noon, Sebastian and Sam met in the kitchen as they both went out to warm up lunch so it would be ready when Kurt got home. "Fancy meeting you here, fine sir," Sam said.

"And a good day to you as well," countered Sebastian, pretending to tip a top hat.

"So, karaoke this evening. Anything this afternoon?" Sam asked.

"Honestly, I figure that Kurt has homework. I would like to find out differently and be able to spend time doing something with him, but I'm afraid that you and I are going to see a lot less of him than we had hoped. His schedule is nuts. I feel bad actually. I have like 27 hours a week to get my schoolwork done while he's gone and you don't even really have any schoolwork, like writing papers or memorizing stuff for tests, and the schoolwork you do have is doing what you love - artwork. And he's got five days full of classes and work and then he still works on Saturday mornings."

"I know. He really didn't want any debt from going to school though. I think he'd be paying more if he lived on campus. He's always worked this hard, as long as I've known him."

"I want to ask you something because you've known him longer than I have."

"Shoot."

"Why is he so stubborn about money? I wanted to surprise him with something, but my mom said that wasn't a great idea."

"Well, I think she's right. I was actually really surprised that he went with you to France so spontaneously. Something like that he would have been planning for months. Where he wanted to go, what he would take, etc. I think the fact that he really wanted to meet his grandparents gave him the push to both accept your offer and to go without all of that advanced planning. I told you how long he must have been working on this plan for me and him to leave Lima together."

"And he added me to the plan very quickly."

"That surprised me, to be honest. I wasn't surprised when he told me that he had asked you to be his boyfriend - that I saw coming. He falls hard and falls fast. And he's loyal. Don't take advantage of those things like the jackass did. I beg you. If you ever decide that he's not who you want anymore, be man enough to break it off and leave."

"I get it. I don't see that happening, though."

"Good. But I agree with your mom. Be honest with him. Working behind his back for whatever reason isn't really being honest with him. He was a lot happier knowing that you had bought the furniture with your own money because you wanted to - that you were participating in making this place a home for yourself and for us. He was a lot more tense about it when he felt like he owed someone. Plus, I think you need to talk to him about it in general. He made a lot of extra money this summer working all of those hours. He had planned to buy furniture with the money, so he may have more put away than you think he did. Find out what he was planning to spend that money on. Whatever it was that you were thinking of doing, he might already be planning to do it himself."

"That's true. I didn't really log how many extra hours he was working, but you're right. I'm used to getting my way and doing what I want, not in a whiny bratty little kid way. I'm just used to being an only child."

Sam laughed. "That's kind of the definition of spoiled, you know?"

"I know," Sebastian laughed. "But I guess I don't feel like it's exactly the same because I never pitted my parents against each other or asked for things like trips to Italy or a pony or a sports car. I asked for things like books to read and dance lessons. Does that make sense? I own an inexpensive car here and that's only because I had to commute back and forth to Dalton every weekend. My dad bought a reliable, inexpensive car that got decent gas mileage. I never had a car in France, even though either one of my parents would have bought me one if I had asked. I've never owned a gaming system or anything like that."

"It does. I was just teasing you. I know you're not a spoiled brat. You just grew up differently where money wasn't a factor. Money means so much to Kurt and it doesn't to you."

Sebastian nodded.

"But it's people who've always had money who don't realize what it's like to live without it. When you wonder if your electricity will stay on or whether you family will lose their house or business because of medical bills and ridiculous expenses like replacing a roof because idiots nail your lawn furniture to your roof - then money means everything."

"I get that."

"And I know you get it, but you've never had to live it."

"Help me understand. I'm really trying."

"Let me think."

They both sat there in silence for a few minutes.

"Okay. You don't like math, right? It's hard for you, I'm assuming."

"Right."

"So, you sit here and work on a problem for 20 minutes and you've not succeeded in getting the problem solved and Kurt walks up, takes the pencil and paper and in three minutes, he's completed the problem and lays the paper back down. How do you feel?"

"Frustrated."

"That's sort of the same effect. He's worked and worked to get everything he has and when he can't afford something yet and you just walk in and offer to buy it for him, it's frustrating."

Sebastian thought about what Sam said.

"It's not a perfect analogy. But think. If he came in here and he spent ten minutes going through the problem with you and you both worked to get the answer, no one would be frustrated anymore."

"I get that. Can I ask you something personal?"

"Sure."

"You've worked just as hard and money has been even more problematic for your family than it has been for Kurt's, yet you don't fight people doing things for you the way he does."

"It's really only ever been him that has done things for me. He sat in Glee and let people accuse him of cheating on Blaine and did not say a word to defend why he was visiting me in that motel. He wasn't helping me out of a desire to be recognized or to hold it over me later. He's a truly decent human being. He helps me out of love and because he cares. I've never taken advantage of his help. I didn't go blowing the money I made on expensive video games and trips to the movie theater or expensive restaurants. I would have walked to work or taken a bus, but he wanted me to be able to drive his Navigator, so he added me to the policy. You realize that other than Burt, you and I are the only people who have ever driven that truck?"

Sebastian nodded.

"He wanted me to be able to stay in contact with my family and he added a second line to his phone plan. It cost him less than it would have cost me to get my own plan. He just included me in a way that made me feel loved, not pitied, if that makes sense. He's never lorded anything over me. His dad's like that you know. They took me in. Burt would never take a penny and he never treated me like a guest after I moved in. I was immediately given 'son' status. I just became the third kid. Chores, curfews, working like Kurt did. He let me keep all the money I made working, just like Kurt did."

"So, if someone else tried to give you things, that would bother you the way it does Kurt?"

"Probably. Motivation is really the key when it comes to stuff like that. I'd only feel okay about it with people that I know for certain are doing it just because they want to, not as a way to have me owe them or feel indebted to them in some other way or just a way to make themselves feel superior."

"Am I in that group?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I want you to feel obligated to do things for me. But if you brought home a pizza to share with me, I wouldn't feel like you were trying to get something out of me for it. I would just assume that you wanted to share a pizza with me."

"Good."

The door opened and Kurt came in. "Well, if it isn't my two favorite people waiting for me. And it smells good in here. I'll be right back."

Sebastian and Sam continued their conversation while Kurt showered and changed.

"Was what you said about the lawn furniture true?"

"Yep. Finn was part of that. The football team did it before I moved to Ohio. I would have totally ratted them out or quit the team. That was destruction of property, maybe at a felony level. I'm not sure. The Hummels didn't need more expenses."

"So much anger directed at him just for existing. I'm glad you showed up."

Sam plated the food and Sebastian washed the pan. By the time Kurt came back, the food was on the table ready to eat.

"You two are awesome. Thank you."

"Well, we happen to think you're awesome. So, we're even," Sam said.

"Sebastian, can you take that fabric your mom got to the store and buy some light blue thread to match it? A large spool. I don't have enough left from making the pillow covers. That way when I get some time, I can work on the curtains. Oh, and an inexpensive white, full-size flat sheet for the lining. I'll work on my homework while you're gone."

"Sure, mon ange. Is there anything else you need?"

"I still need to go get those dance shorts. Maybe you can search for who sells them around here and get those too." He pulled out his phone and texted Sebastian a photo of the style the shorts had to be. "We wear the same size, more or less. If they fit you, they should fit me."

"Consider it done. Blue thread, white sheet and black dance shorts. I'll go get them after we finish eating."

Kurt leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Sorry to make you run out now when you could have done it earlier."

"It's fine. You said you have homework anyway. I'll leave you to do that and maybe we can do something fun when I get back, if you've gotten it done. If not, I'll just read while you still work."

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As soon as Sebastian left, Kurt asked Sam to rehearse the song he had chosen once, and then he headed to his room to get his homework done as quickly as he could. When Sebastian came back, they practiced their duet and the three of them headed down to the river to walk along an area that had an art installation. They sat and enjoyed watching boats on the river and being outside for a while before they headed out for karaoke night.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

That evening, they met up with Elliott, Dani and Charlene again. Kurt, Sam and Sebastian all put their names on the sign up list individually and Kurt and Sebastian signed up to sing together.

Elliott got up and wowed everyone again as Starchild. His raucous rendition of "Toxic" was met with much applause.

Kurt sang during the first band portion. Fortunately, the band was understanding and let Sam play and they joined in. Kurt was surprised that they knew the song. He found it on a YouTube crawl of clicking random videos after watching what he had originally been looking for. He loved the lyrics back when he found it and now they actually applied to his life. He sang directly to Sebastian.

 _I like where we are_  
 _When we drive in your car_  
 _I like where we are_  
 _Here_

 _Cause our lips can touch_  
 _And our cheeks can brush_  
 _Our lips can touch_  
 _Here_

 _Well you are the one_  
 _The one that lies close to me_  
 _Whispers hello, I missed you quite terribly_  
 _I fell in love, in love with you_  
 _Suddenly, there's no place else I could be_  
 _But here in your arms_

 _I like where you sleep_  
 _When you sleep next to me_  
 _I like where you sleep_  
 _Here_

Kurt was finally someplace where he could be himself. Here. The chorus repeated a few more times. He was pleasantly surprised by the rousing response he got. He went and sat next to Sebastian, who had watery eyes. He pulled Kurt close to his side in the booth and kissed him.

Sam's name came up a few minutes later and he returned to the stage and sang "I'm Movin' On", which everyone enjoyed. It wasn't an exact fit for his situation, but the sentiment rang true for him. He had left his past behind and had moved on.

Sebastian started off the karaoke portion with "When I Look at You." He looked directly at Kurt through most of the song.

... _Yeah, when my world is falling apart_  
 _When there's no light to break up the dark_  
 _That's when I, I_  
 _I look at you_  
 _When the waves_  
 _Are flooding the shore and I can't_  
 _Find my way home anymore_  
 _That's when I, I_  
 _I look at you_

 _When I look at you, I see forgiveness_  
 _I see the truth_  
 _You love me for who I am_

 _And I know that I am not alone_

 _You appear just like a dream to me_

 _Every breath that I breathe_  
 _Don't you know you're beautiful?_

He finished out with the repeated chorus and went back to sit with Kurt, who took his hand and whispered, "Thank you." in his ear.

Sebastian smiled. "Always."

They finished up the food they had ordered while lots of other people got up and sang. Some were really good, others enjoyed themselves even though they lacked skill. But it was the kind of place Kurt liked. No one was booed. People genuinely liked watching people sing for fun.

Eventually, Kurt and Sebastian's name came up. They had only practiced a couple of times together, but they had practiced on their own, so they were able to perform well together. They sang "I Run to You."

 _I run from hate_  
 _I run from prejudice_  
 _I run from pessimists_  
 _But I run too late_  
 _I run my life_  
 _Or is it running me?_  
 _Run from my past_  
 _I run too fast_  
 _Or too slow it seems_  
 _When lies become the truth_  
 _That's when I run to you_

 _This world keeps spinning faster_  
 _Into a new disaster so I run to you_  
 _I run to you, baby_  
 _When it all starts coming undone_  
 _Baby, you're the only one I run to_  
 _I run to you_  
 _Oh, I run to you_

They had talked about how this song reminded them of the last few months. Kurt ran from their past, only to have the lies from his past find him in Paris and then again in at the shop. But they stuck together, faced Burt, Blaine and Rachel and came out of it stronger.

They hugged and walked off the stage hand in hand and went back to their table. They enjoyed the rest of their evening listening to people singing and talking with their new friends.

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"I had never heard that song you sang to me," Sebastian said as he was massaging Kurt's back that night. "I really liked it. Thank you."

"It's totally true. Being here with you is amazing. It's not perfect. It's hard. Not between us, but the schoolwork and working is hard. But I love it here with you."

"I love being here with you too. Turn over, lie on the heat pad." Sebastian put the pillows under his knees, turned the light off and lay down next to him. "Mmm. So, have you made a decision on the shirtless sleeping?" Sebastian asked as he traced patterns on Kurt's chest.

"As long as you're in the bed to keep me warm, it's great." Kurt tipped Sebastian's chin up and kissed him. They lay there until the timer went off.

"How's your back feeling?"

"Much better since Dr. Smythe has been in charge of my recovery." Kurt sat up and put the pillows and heating pad next to the bed. "But I've missed holding you. I want to try being the big spoon. If my back hurts, we'll switch back, okay?"

"Of course." Being the little spoon was always enjoyable.

"We'll have to play Connect the Dots again sometime," Kurt said as he snuggled up behind Sebastian and started gently kissing him everywhere he could reach.

Sebastian shivered just thinking about it. "Mmm. Sounds fun."


	25. Chapter 25

Kurt was standing looking at a four-sided activities board pillar when a man approached him.

"You're thinking about signing up, aren't you?" the man asked in a lovely British accent.

"Oh, uh." Kurt stuttered, not knowing what to say. "You are?"

"Adam, a senior and a founder and fearless leader of the Adam's Apples, the group you are very seriously joining."

"I'm Kurt."

"Kurt Hummel. Your performance in your chorale course the first day was breathtaking. Now, you've been here almost a week and you're wondering where you fit in and how you can make college different than high school. And how joining an outside group would fit into your already overbooked schedule? And no, I'm not a mind reader. I'm just astute, like you. We need you. We want you." Adam said in one long breath, followed by a big smile.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be joining," Kurt said as he moved to walk around the opposite side of the pillar.

"Man, a hard sell. I respect that, but I'm not willing to go down without a fight. Come hear us sing. No strings attached. No secret time-share condo Ponzi scheme. Just our voices and your ears," Adam said as he followed Kurt through the atrium.

Kurt relented and followed Adam to the small auditorium off the atrium where the Adam's Apples were awaiting Adam's arrival to start their rehearsal.

"I present to you, the Adam's Apples."

Kurt took a seat near the front of the auditorium and was presented with the most unusual ballad arrangement of "Baby Got Back" imaginable, complete with choreography and Adam singing lead. By a few lines into the song, Kurt was smiling and laughing so hard he had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud.

After the song finished, Adam turned the rehearsal over to a fellow member and they started working on another song that Adam did not sing lead on.

"So, what did you think?"

"Well, I haven't had that much fun watching a group perform before."

"That's the point. Music school is tough and competitive and someone is always there to tell you how you can 'improve' some aspect of your performance. That's not a complaint. That's why we all came to school. To learn to be better at what we love. But sometimes, I just like to do what I love because I love it. No other reason."

"I can understand that. My roommate found this karaoke place in town when my boyfriend and I were gone to visit my parents in DC. We go there every Saturday now, for the same reason. Just to sing and have fun doing it. We've met some nice people there too. No one boos. It's a nice place. You could come with us sometime if you want."

"That sounds like fun."

"When do the Apples meet?"

"Well, now obviously and on Wednesdays at the same time. For an hour each time."

"I'll think about it. That's the best answer I can give you for now. This is my first semester and I also work 20 hours a week and I have to be at work by 3:00 every day. It really sounds like fun, but it's so early in the semester, I really don't know what to expect as far as the amount of time I'm going to have to spend daily on schoolwork."

"I understand." Adam pulled his phone out. "Put your number in and I'll let you know about the karaoke on Saturday. I'll see if any of the Apples are interested too."

Kurt took the phone and put his number in. Adam clicked on the number and hung up so Kurt would have his number too. Adam shook hands with Kurt and went back up onstage to join in the rehearsal. Later that afternoon, when Kurt got to the Navigator, he opened the video he secretly took while the Apples were singing, paused it and took a screen shot and added it to Adam's contact info. He couldn't wait to show the video to Sebastian and Sam after he got off from work.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt showered and found that Sam and Sebastian had pretty much finished dinner by the time he got out to the kitchen.

"You guys aren't trying to prevent me from helping are you?"

"No. I just got home a little early and started prepping stuff and when Sam got here, he started helping me and we just managed to get dinner on the table a little early tonight."

"Okay. It looks great. I want you guys to see this video I took earlier this afternoon. He told them the story first and then played the video. They were both cracking up watching it.

"That has to be the most ridiculous arrangement of a song, ever. There should be an award for making that song into a ballad," Sebastian said, still laughing.

"Well, the guy singing lead - his name is Adam and he's British. He's the leader of the group called 'The Adam's Apples'. He tried to convince to join by inviting me to watch them perform that."

"Well, he's bold," Sam said.

"I invited him to go to the karaoke place some time. I also told him that I am probably too busy to join his group, although it does look like a lot of fun, don't you think?"

"Well, he definitely has a sense of humor," Sebastian said.

"I could definitely use some fun times at school. The group meets on Mondays and Wednesday for an hour. I might go again to see if the other things they do are that much fun or if that's the only crazy arrangement they've done."

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Kurt had finished the curtains the evening before, but they didn't have a curtain rod. Sebastian had gotten a rod and the clips to hang the curtains with on the way home from his classes.

Sebastian ironed the panels while Kurt worked on getting the curtain rod supports up. They put the clips on while the panels were laid out on the bed. They slipped the rod through and got the end caps on and stood on the bed to fasten the rod into the supports. Once it was fastened in place, they got down to have a look.

"What do you think?" Kurt asked.

Sebastian straightened the bed up from where they had been standing on it and put the throw pillows in place and then moved back from the bed again. "I think they finish off the room. It looks complete now." He moved to where Kurt was standing and wrapped his arms around his waist from behind. "I think they look really good."

"Me too. That vintage fabric your mom found looks really good with the colors we chose and the fabric we got in London."

Kurt went and got Sam to show him.

"Oh, hey. Those look nice. Good job. Wanna watch _Dr Who_?"

"Sure. One episode. Then I have some reading to do," Kurt said. He grabbed Sebastian's hand.

"Wait. I wanted to to take a picture to send to Mom." Kurt let go of his hand and waited for him to take the picture. Sebastian reached back out to him and Kurt took his hand and they went to watch.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Sam were gone early and Sebastian knew that he didn't have enough schoolwork to fill a whole day. He worked on it for a few hours, and then he switched to doing laundry. He got everything hung up or dried and put away before lunch time. He ate and went back to his schoolwork, which only took another hour or so. He felt guilty sitting around the house while Kurt was struggling to keep up, but for the life of him, he couldn't think of a single other thing he could do to make it easier for Kurt. Kurt seemed to be on the verge of having his feelings hurt when he was left out of making dinner the night before. He clearly enjoyed the camaraderie of working with him and Sam. They always laughed and teased and joked with each other while they cooked and obviously Kurt needed to be a part of that.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam got home before Kurt. Sebastian mentioned what he thought he saw in Kurt the night before.

"You're probably right. If we do it without him, in an effort to save him time, I think he'll feel like we're leaving him out. He wants to cook with us, so we should just wait for him to come help."

Sam went to change into his pajamas because he didn't like cooking in his uniform.

"I see the laundry fairy visited again today. I'm going to need to start leaving him a tip or something if he keeps this up."

"You're welcome. Please don't tell me you feel left out of someone does your laundry for you," Sebastian teased.

"No way, dude. Laundry is nowhere near my top ten fun things to do with my spare time. I really appreciate you doing it."

"I have all this free time and the two of you are gone so much, I feel useless sometimes."

"I'm sure once you get a little further into the semester, you'll have plenty of work to keep you busy. It can't be much longer before all those lit professors think that you've had plenty of time to read all those books and start making you write papers about them."

"I'm sure," Sebastian said.

Kurt came in the door, put his backpack on the rack and walked directly to their bedroom and closed the door.

"Looks like it's been another long day for him," Sam said.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Not long after dinner Kurt pulled the covers back, took his shirt off and got into bed lying face down. Sebastian couldn't resist giving him a massage to make his back feel better, so he went and showered quickly. He climbed into bed with Kurt's lotion and started working the knots out of Kurt's back. "Mon ange, you're so tense."

"That feels so good. I'll try harder to relax." Kurt thought about Paris and took several deep breaths and let them out slowly.

"What's got you so stressed?"

"It's just the lack of routine, I think. Everything is still so new in the semester that I have to look at my daily schedule every time I finish a class just to know where I'm supposed to be next. Today was my first regular Tuesday/Thursday classes day."

"I can see how that would be stressful. You have so many different classes. Hopefully, in a week or two it won't feel so strange anymore."

"That's what I'm hoping too. I'll be getting up early tomorrow. Can you sleep yet?"

"I don't know, but I'm willing to try." He got up and turned off the lights. Kurt was already waiting for him to snuggle up as the little spoon again. Sebastian lay down on his side and scooted back and Kurt pulled him even closer.

"I love you."

"I love you, mon ange," Sebastian replied and within a matter of minutes, he could tell that Kurt had fallen asleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Early the next morning, Kurt slipped out of the bed. Sebastian stirred a bit, but figured that Kurt had to use the bathroom and would be right back. He was back in a few minutes, but he was dressed and he was holding clothes for Sebastian to put on.

"Mon ange, it's dark outside. Why are we getting dressed?"

"I want to go somewhere with you. Please?"

Sebastian could never refuse Kurt a simple request, and he took the clothes from Kurt and went to the bathroom and returned a few minutes later and put some shoes on and followed Kurt out to the Navigator. He climbed into the passenger side and tipped his head back, closed his eyes as Kurt had requested, and relaxed. Kurt drove to the center of town and parked in an empty lot to the side of the municipal building. He walked around to Sebastian's door, opened it for him, told him that he could open his eyes, and then led him by the hand to a bricked park area between the municipal building and the art museum that they hadn't yet visited. Kurt timed their arrival to be just at sunrise. He led Sebastian to the area near the Calder statue and asked, "Will you dance with me?"

"Always."

Kurt pulled out his phone and stuck it in his shirt pocket after he started the music. He wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck, keeping enough distance between them that the music could still be heard well. He started singing "Me and You" to Sebastian while they danced, only changing the lyrics slightly.

 _Ordinary, no, really don't think so_  
 _Not a love this true_  
 _Common destiny_  
 _We were meant to be_  
 _Me and you_

 _Like a perfect scene from a movie screen_  
 _Where every dream comes true_  
 _Suited perfectly for eternity_  
 _Me and you_

 _Every day, I need you even more_  
 _At the nighttime too_  
 _There's no way_  
 _I could ever let you go_  
 _All I want is you_

 _Every day I live_  
 _I try my best to give_  
 _All I have to you_  
 _I thank the stars above_  
 _That we share this love_  
 _Me and you_

He continued singing until the end of the song. When the music stopped, he took a small step back and took Sebastian's hands.

"We've been together for three months and I know that I want that to continue forever. Will you marry me? In June?"

"Yes. A million times, yes." He stepped forward and pulled Kurt into a huge bear hug. "Yes, I will marry you." He loosened the hug enough that they could kiss. "I love you so much."

They walked hand in hand to a nearby ledge where they could sit and watch the sun rise.

Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulders and Kurt wrapped his around Sebastian's waist and Kurt leaned in and kissed Sebastian on the cheek. "I love you. I didn't get rings because I love the ones we have. I want to keep wearing these even as our wedding rings, if that's okay with you. These mean more to me than any fancy expensive ring."

"I'm fine with that. Having expensive fancy rings is not important to me. Us being together is what's important." He turned and kissed Kurt. "This is beautiful."

"We talked about watching a sunrise together that night on the Seine."

"I remember."

They just sat there holding each other close for a while.

Eventually, Kurt said, "Let's go home and make breakfast before we head off to classes."

"One more kiss first." Sebastian leaned in and Kurt met him with a passionate kiss. No one was around because it was so early and Kurt was a lot less concerned about PDA than he had been in Ohio anyway.

Sebastian stood and took Kurt's hand, walked him to the opposite side of the bench and pulled Kurt into his lap. "I want us to take a picture here together." Kurt pulled his phone out of his shirt pocket and took a few shots of them together with the sunrise in the background, and then they walked back to the Navigator hand in hand.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Does Sam know?" Sebastian asked on the ride home.

"Only the two of us know."

"Do you not want him to know?"

"Of course, I do. I just wanted telling people to be something we do together."

"We can talk more this evening. I want to take you out to dinner, please?"

"I'd love to. I'll tell Sam that we're going out when I drop him off at school. We can tell him about this morning whenever you want. That goes for everyone else too. If you think that people will be happy for us, then we can start telling people. You can think about and we can talk later, like you said."

They pulled up in the parking space and went into their apartment. Sam was in the shower. Kurt and Sebastian made breakfast together for all three of them and had it waiting on the table when Sam came out to the kitchen.

"I thought Sebastian's birthday is Friday. Did I mix things up and it's today?" Sam asked seeing the pancakes and eggs on the table.

"No, you're right. My birthday is Friday."

"Oh, okay." He sat down with them and started eating. "Well thanks for the hot breakfast. This is really good."

"You're welcome," Kurt responded.

"Something's going on," Sam said.

"He can read me like a book," Kurt laughed looking at Sebastian.

"Well, as your best friends, we aren't faced with the ice king with the unreadable expressions," Sam teased. "So, spill already. I know you want to tell me or you two would have hidden out in your room and not made the three of us a hot breakfast to share."

Sebastian couldn't hold it in anymore. "Kurt got me up before the sun came up and drove me downtown to the park by the art museum and he asked me to marry him as we watched the sunrise."

"Awe. Seriously? That's really sweet. Congratulations."

"Thanks," they both said in unison.

"We haven't decided who all we're going to tell yet," Kurt said.

"Got it. For me to know and maybe no one else to find out." Sam smiled and winked.

The three of them gathered up what they needed and headed out. Kurt told Sam about not being home for dinner on the way to school.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian got home before Kurt and laid out clothes for Kurt to wear and changed. They were going to a nice place, not expensive, but not a buffet or fast food place. Kurt came in and jumped in the shower, blew his hair dry and found the clothes waiting for him on the back of his desk chair when he came out of the bathroom. He put them on and went out to the living room where Sebastian was waiting for him.

Sebastian wouldn't tell him where they were going, just that it was some place new and that it would be fun. They drove north from the apartment and less than 15 minutes later, they pulled up to a Jamaican restaurant.

"Ooh, this does look fun."

"It has good reviews online, so I thought we'd give it a try."

They went in and were seated and started to look through their menus. "How about we do what we did at that Peruvian place in Paris and just order a bunch of different small things and share them all?" Kurt asked.

"Sound fun to me."

While they waited for their food to come after they had ordered, Sebastian started the conversation. "I have something I want to talk about."

"Okay."

"I want us to go to Paris for Winter Break. And please listen before you say anything."

Kurt nodded.

"I've started tutoring people again. I will have enough money to pay for your ticket, but I know you don't like it when I just try to pay for things for you. So, I would like us to discuss how we can make this work. You already work really hard to pay for your expenses and Sam's. My dad is covering mine. Please consider letting me work and cover your ticket to go to France with me."

Kurt didn't really know what to say immediately.

"If you don't want to go to France, I'll go wherever you're going. I'll still keep tutoring and saving the money for us for the future. Please just consider it. If the situation were reversed, would you be willing to pay for me?"

"You know I would."

"Then we just need to figure out what we both really want to happen over Winter Break and then work together to make it happen. I love you and most of all I want to spend Christmas with you." Sebastian reached out for Kurt's hand across the table. Kurt responded by taking his hand.

"Okay. When we get home, we'll look at our school calendars and see when we're done and make some plans," Kurt said.

Sebastian squeezed his hand gently, and then changed his hand's position so that he could run his thumb across Kurt's ring.

"Do you want to tell your mom when she comes this weekend?"

"Yes, definitely."

Kurt smiled.

The waiter arrived with their dishes and two empty dinner plates. They split all of the items and enjoyed their meal. They were too full to eat all of what they had ordered and decided to take the rest home for Sebastian to eat for lunch the next day.

On the drive home, Kurt asked, "Where do you want to go when your mom's here? You know she'll want to take you out for your birthday."

"I'm not sure. We'll probably just decide on a type of food and look for some place online and go there and eat since we haven't really tried many places yet. This place tonight was good. We can add it to our list of places we like. We've got three now. When I was looking online for a place for tonight, I found a sandwich place owned by a guy from Paris. All the bread is fresh made and the photos looked really good. It's only open for lunch though. Maybe we could to there on Sunday."

"That sounds like a good idea. Was it expensive?"

"No. From what I could see everything was between $5-$10."

"That's not bad. Same price range as the other three places we've added to the list so far."

They walked in to find Sam shooting things with Finn, Puck and Artie online. Sebastian put his leftovers box in the fridge and checked to see whether Sam had packed lunches for them tomorrow and found that he had.

He thanked him for the lunches on the way into their bedroom and waved good night.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian entered the room to find Kurt standing there holding out a pair of pajama pants for him. He took them and went into the bathroom and showered. When he came back out, Kurt was dressed in his pajama pants and nothing else. There was only one light on in the room and there was music playing. The way that Kurt had designed the room, with the bed under the window in the alcove, left the center of the room open.

"Dance with me?"

Sebastian tossed his clothes into the laundry basket and went straight to Kurt. They slow danced around the room for quite a while. Kurt danced them over to the edge of the bed and Sebastian laughed when he saw the marker was on his pillow.

He lay down in the bed on his back and let Kurt have his fun. After much contemplation, Kurt began connecting the dots. When he was done he picked his phone up off his side table and took a photo. He turned the phone and showed Sebastian the picture. Kurt had spelled the word "MINE" out across his chest.

"Awesome, even better than the horse." He raised up and propped on his elbows. Kurt leaned forward and kissed him.

"You better go wipe it off before we get it on the sheets somehow."

Sebastian turned off the light when he climbed back into bed. "I should have asked. Did you want to dance more or are you ready to lie down?"

"Stay."

"Always."

"Sit next to me. I want to tell you something. I will more than likely still call you my boyfriend. I like French better for this particular situation. 'Mon financé' sounds completely different from 'ma fiancée'. And unless I name you every time, I could unintentionally mislead people into thinking I'm engaged to a girl."

"I guess I had never thought about since the part of my life that I can actually remember I spoke French most of the time."

"I just didn't want you to be offended or think that you've been demoted or something," Kurt teased.

"I get it."

"Plus, I guess it just sounds pretentious to me because it was sort of thrown at me with Finn and Rachel being engaged. 'She's my fiancée', like it was some badge of honor like his letter jacket, giving him privileges I was unable to obtain. My baggage, not yours. I just didn't want you hurt by my word choice at some point."

"No offense will be taken. Boyfriend, fiancé, eventually husband. As long as they refer to me, I'm good with it."

"Of course they all refer or will refer to you and only you." Being silly, Kurt started singing, "You're the one that I want. You're the only one I want, ooh, ooh, ooh. The one I need. Oh, yes indeed."

" _Grease_?" Sebastian started laughing.

"It popped into my mind, what can I say? Music theater is my default mode I guess."

"Well, you always make me laugh, which is awesome. Come over closer. Can I hold you?"

"Always." Kurt scooted as close as he could get.

"Here in the middle and lean back." Kurt climbed over Sebastian's leg and sat in the V. Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt. Kurt leaned back at an angle so he could kiss Sebastian. He missed at first, grazing Sebastian's jaw near his ear because it was pitch black in the room.

Kurt laughed. "Turn this way so I can kiss those beautiful lips."

"I love that we laugh together."

"Me too." Their lips finally met and they spent several minutes gently kissing.

"I need to ask you something serious," Sebastian said.

"Okay."

"We're taking things really slow, which I appreciate more than I can express in words, but what if by June I can't... let you...?"

Kurt could feel the tension radiating through Sebastian's whole body.

Kurt moved and pushed Sebastian's legs back so they were touching and sat down in his lap facing him. He scooted up really close so their chests were nearly flush. He put one hand on Sebastian's shoulder for balance and tipped Sebastian's chin up gently with his other hand. "Sebastian Alexander Smythe. I love you. Whether we ever do anything that we aren't doing now or not, I still want to be with you. Do you want to be with me even if we never do anything that we aren't doing now?"

"Yes."

"I said I'd never pressure you. I meant that. I'm in love with you, not with what you can do with part of your body. Are you having second thoughts?"

"Oh, God no. No, I'm not having second thoughts. I meant it when I said 'yes' that I want to marry you. I just started panicking this afternoon when I thought about how I might never be able to let you... that close to me. I still feel broken sometimes, like I'll never be whole again."

"Maybe one day, I'll be able to let you that close to me. Only time will tell. If it becomes that big of a deal some day, I'm sure there are therapists we can see just for that specific topic, but I'm not concerned about it right now. I like the pace were taking. It feels really comfortable and safe."

Kurt leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck.

"Whenever you're feeling like you somehow aren't good enough, just be honest with me, okay? I will remind you how much you mean to me. No flattery, just truth, like we promised. I'm glad you told me your concern. That way we dealt with it and prevented it from building up in your mind until you were convinced it was true."

"Me too. I get myself all worked up over nothing sometimes."

"It's not nothing. Fear is real. It can be disabling. I don't want your concerns to become huge fears." Kurt caressed Sebastian's cheek with his right hand. "I'm here for you just like you're here for me. I was overwhelmed last night and you took care of me. When you're overwhelmed, I'll take care of you. If we're ever both overwhelmed at the same time, we'll just strip down to our pajamas and lie in bed and kiss until we feel better."

"I like that plan," Sebastian started gently running his hands up at down Kurt's back.

"I'm sure," Kurt laughed.

"Actually, I think that's what we need to do right now."

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

Kurt quickly kissed Sebastian's cheek and moved off his lap and plopped down on his back on his side of the bed. "Come on then. You're wasting valuable kissing time. It was your idea after all."

Sebastian laughed and put the extra pillows next to the bed, and then slid down to lie on his side of the bed.

"The only thing I can kiss on you from way over there is your hand," he said as he snatched Sebastian's hand and started kissing it. He moved slowly toward Sebastian kissing his wrist, his forearm, near his elbow, his biceps, his shoulder, his neck. By then, Sebastian was moaning. "Should I stop?"

"No. Please continue."

"Unless you roll on your side, I'll have to straddle you to continue."

Sebastian rolled toward the center of the bed. Kurt continued kissing the other side of his neck and then back down to his other hand. Sebastian continued to moan quietly occasionally. Kurt lay back down on his side facing Sebastian and kissed his forehead, each eyelid, his cheeks, his chin, and back to his lips. "I love you. I was so happy when you said 'yes' this morning. Loving someone and being loved in return is my dream come true."

Kurt continued speaking, "I heard a song on the radio once and the chorus stuck in my mind. 'I gotta couple dents in my fender, got a couple rips in my jeans. Try to fit the pieces together, but perfection is my enemy. And on my own I'm so clumsy, but on your shoulders I can see, I'm free to be me.' It just struck me as perfect in its own imperfect way. I wanted that with someone - the freedom to be myself and still be accepted. You don't need to see yourself as broken. I don't. You might be a bit dented here and there. We all are. No one manages to make it to adulthood in 'mint' condition. Certainly not me. And perfection has always been my enemy. And my incessant need to control everything. Our dents might not be identical, but we both have them. But when I look at you, that's not what I see. You know that, right?"

"It's sinking in, slowly."

"I'm not one of those 'everything happens for a reason' kind of people. But I think we can learn something from everything that happens. Sometimes what we learn is that some people are awful. Sometimes we learn that some people who have had awful things happen to them are beautiful amazing people. That's what I see when I look at you."

Sebastian shifted enough to make their lips brush together again. Kurt returned the kiss.

"So will you let me take you to France for Winter Break?"

"Yes. This is one of those times when I am willfully choosing to let go of my incessant need to control everything. I want to be with you. And I don't want us to fight over where to go or how to get there."

"Really? You mean it?"

"I mean it. I can't keep refusing to let you do things for me. It obviously means a lot to you and it makes you happy. I can't let my stubborn pride steal away your joy like that. It would just be wrong."

"While I'm home tomorrow, I'm going to get the semester calendars for all of our schools and make a combined calendar so we can figure out dates for stuff. I'm pretty sure I get three weeks at Winter Break. We have to figure out what we'll do about your parents because I'm betting they'll be annoyed if we don't go to Ohio."

"Not as much as you might think. When I talked to Dad when we were still in Paris, I warned him that I may never go back to Lima, like ever. I don't honestly know if I will or not. But I'm pretty sure that he understood that I was serious. I told him that he and Carole could come here or we might be able to go to DC."

"Alright. When I make the calendar, I'll see what I can figure out for us to go to DC another time this semester. I've never done the big American Thanksgiving meal, so I won't be missing anything. If Burt and Carole are still going to do that in Lima, then maybe they'd be okay with us doing something different. Your dad would probably like it if we had burgers, fries, beer and whatever his favorite dessert is."

Kurt laughed. "You're right. He would love that."

"I don't need gifts for Christmas. Neither of us really do. Neither of us is religious. So, I think we'll need to think about what we're celebrating and how we want to do it. I know you like to give gifts, so maybe still giving out one small, significant gift to each person in your family would still be fun to do."

"That seems reasonable."

"What I would like to do with you is be with you. We could go somewhere we want to visit and just get away together. I think that would be a nice long term goal and we don't even need to do it at Christmas time. I'd just like for us to have some time each year when you're off from work and we don't have school and it's just the two of us like it was in Paris this summer."

"I have to think about my job too, though. I need to talk to Joe and get an idea of what he was expecting. Since I'm a student, I'm hoping that he expected me to go away for Winter Break."

"Me too. But if you have to stay in order to keep your job, I'll stay. I'm not going to spend winter break without you."

"That's not fair to you."

"Fair shmair." He kissed Kurt. "Enough talking, more kissing."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt spent the time between his classes finalizing the plans for Sebastian's surprise party the next night. Thad had gotten the key and the visitor parking pass. Kurt sent him the address of the bakery he had ordered the cake from and the address of the dollar store nearby so that Thad could pick up the cake and some balloons on the way to the apartment. He arranged for Thad to arrive by 5:30 and for Nick and Jeff to get there at 5:45. All three of them asked what to get Sebastian and Kurt had asked them not to bring gifts. He mentioned if they wanted to do something, they could pay for Sebastian's dinner or something. By the time he got to work, he had gotten all of the details arranged.

He had arrived 15 minutes early intentionally.

"Hey Joe, do you have time to talk for a few minutes?"

"Sure, Kurt. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I wanted to ask about school breaks and scheduling. I didn't know if you were expecting me to work during the school breaks."

"Honestly, you're really good and you've been a great addition to our shop. I'd love for you to be here all the time, but I know that you're a student and students tend to want to leave town during school breaks."

"I'll just put all my cards on the table. Sebastian and I are getting married next June. This is a nice place to work and I have to work in order to eat and pay my bills. Sebastian and I are half French and we were in France the whole summer before I came here in July. We'd like to spend time there every year. I'm trying to figure out what the limit of me being off during school breaks is before you decide I'm not worth the hassle and you replace me."

"No beating around the bush. I like that. You work hard. You show up on time. You don't cost me extra because of mistakes. Give me a little time to think about it. I'll come out and talk to you later."

Kurt got his coveralls on and started on the car he was assigned to work on. An hour later, Joe came out to talk to him.

"So, here's my offer. You work the school breaks, covering for people who want off, in addition to your regular hours. We are closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and New Year's Day, with the exception of towing/rescue service crew, which you don't work. So, you'd have the official holiday days off. And I will offer you eight weeks off in the summer starting whenever you want, which I am assuming will be mid-June to early August. I will try to get the guys who want full weeks off to take them in late May, early June and in August."

"And if I wanted the school holiday weeks off?"

"I could only offer you 2-3 weeks in the summer because the school breaks would be about 5-6 weeks of time off, depending on the exact schedule for the school breaks."

"Thank you. I'll talk to Sebastian tonight when I get home."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt walked in to find Sebastian watching a movie and he could smell dinner. He went to the bathroom and came back out in his pajama pants and a t-shirt. He plopped onto the couch and put his head in Sebastian's lap and stretched out.

"Why is dinner already done?"

"Because after Sam texted saying that he wasn't coming home until later, I thought we could use the time to dance and then eat, unless you're too tired."

"I won't turn down dancing with you unless I'm literally too tired to stand." Kurt got up and held his hand out. Sebastian turned the move and TV off with the remote. He turned on the music he had prepped and pulled Kurt up close. "Mmm," Kurt said as he nuzzled Sebastian's neck.

Eventually Sebastian danced Kurt across the room to the table and let him sit down. He served their dinner and sat next to Kurt. There was a stack of papers on the opposite side of the table.

Kurt cleared the table and put some things in to soak and the rest in the dishwasher. He sat back down next to Sebastian at the table to look at the calendar pages he had made.

"I talked to Joe. I'll tell you what he said before we start looking through these. I can either have all the school breaks off and two or three weeks off this summer or I can work all of the school breaks, including covering for people's vacations, and have eight weeks off next summer after we get married."

"Eight weeks, hmm."

"That's really what I want to do if only have those two options. If we go to France over Winter Break it would only be for a couple of weeks. It's a lot of money to spend on a ticket to only get to stay such a short period of time. If we go in the summer, we could stay even longer than we did this summer."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Kurt turned to look at him. "But you really wanted to go home for Winter Break."

"My home is with you." He kissed Kurt. "I meant what I said. I want to be where you are."

"I don't want to keep you from going. Your mom will pay for your ticket and I feel like I'm making you miss out on Christmas." Kurt closed his eyes, willing himself not to cry.

Sebastian ran his thumb across Kurt's cheek catching the tear that escaped. "I am choosing this. Please don't feel bad. I feel like no matter what I say, you're going to be sad."

"It's one of those situations, where there's no solution that makes everyone happy."

"It is. But we can choose to be happy that we're together."

"I guess I just still struggle with feeling like you'll be mad at me later because you stayed and didn't do what you wanted to."

"What I wanted to do was make sure that we were together. I wanted make sure that I could take you to France with ME. I wanted YOU with ME. But if I can't have that in France, then I'll have that here. You and me here. It wasn't about ME being in France, even though I'd love to do that. In a world where I get to choose all options I want, I would choose you and me in Paris. If I only get to pick one or the other, I choose you. Always."

Kurt got up and straddled Sebastian's lap and wrapped his arms around his neck. "You're sure?"

Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist to stabilize him. "I'm absolutely sure."

"Okay." Kurt kissed Sebastian gently, climbed off his lap and sat back in his own chair.

"So, the next part of the plan is to make sure that Sam gets to go to visit his family. He'll need a plane ticket. I looked at bus tickets. They're about $100 cheaper, but it takes like 20 hours each way and he only has 11 days off. Spending two of them in a bus isn't practical, when he could fly there a lot more quickly."

"So, we split the cost three ways. We find the best ticket price and we tell him up front that it's what we want to do for him for Christmas, but that the ticket prices will go up a lot if we wait until later to buy the ticket. We'll see what he says. I won't manipulate him into owing us the other third of the cost. And maybe he doesn't want to go. We need to find out first."

"Deal."

Kurt picked up the calendar pages and looked through them. He left November and December next to each other so he could see both. "So, we'll be home every school break. I think your job will be to find us things to do. We don't have to do something every day. Just things that we haven't gone to see around here or places we could go visit. Sam only gets 11 days off, so he will be here during the last part of our breaks, but he'll be gone every day until 6:00. So, we'll still have a lot of alone time." He smiled thinking about it.

"Your school has a 'Winter Term' on the calendar. What exactly is that?"

"I can take a 3-credit class during Winter Term, to get ahead, which would be a good idea if we are going to pretty much spend all summer in France. I'll go talk to my advisor about it. I can also take two classes this summer. One during the 3-week term right after spring semester ends and another one later in the summer. I can do the work in France. Have you thought about taking summer classes?"

"Well, only after you asked me about whether I could graduate in three years. And to do that, I'll need to take two classes this summer. There are really complicated rules about graduating in six terms. But there are online courses and I'll find two that will work and enroll in those."

"So, we've decided that we'll stay home through all the school breaks, find fun things to do together here when I'm not working. I'll take a Winter Term course. We'll go to Sam's graduation. We'll get married in June. We'll each take two summer courses. And we'll spend eight weeks in Paris."

"That sums it up."

"So, then we move on to the budgeting, which we can work on a little later because I want to dance more before Sam gets home."

"Sounds perfect." Sebastian collected the calendar sheets and put them in their room while Kurt restarted the music.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian took on the task of budgeting because Kurt still had homework left to do. He ended up giving up because he just didn't have all of the information that he needed and he couldn't interrupt Kurt's schoolwork to get it. He showered early and got in bed to read. Kurt finally finished what he was doing and got into bed with Sebastian.

"We'll work on the budget again together, okay? I couldn't do it on my own because I needed information from you."

"Okay. Can we turn the lights out or do you still want to read?"

"I'm done for now."

They both turned their lights off. "We talked about so many other things earlier, I didn't think to ask, but did you find a time when we could go to DC again? I'll need to plan things with Carole. The sooner I can ask off or arrange to trade shifts, the better."

"Well, rather than going there, I thought we'd invite them here. I couldn't really figure out a way to be gone long enough to make it worth the drive. Leaving Saturday at 12:30 and needing to be back the next evening is a really quick trip. The third week in October I have a 3-day fall break, but you don't. And that weekend is your school's family weekend. So, I thought maybe we could have Burt and Carole here for 4 days. I know you'd still have class during the day on those weekdays, but I could find something for them to do, even if it's just let your dad sit on the couch and watch sports all day. We get cable TV with our rent and we never use it. He'd probably enjoy a vacation of sitting on his butt since he's so busy all the time."

"You're right. He was a homebody before he ran for office. He was never into doing things like going to museums or anything. If I plan well, I might be able to manage to have those two evenings be homework free. Maybe the professors will go easy on us since there's a big school event that weekend and they obviously want the students to participate in the Family Weekend events. I'll see what I can find out about the event schedule."

"Good plan. How about snuggling and sleeping instead of plotting and planning?"

"Excellent idea, but I suggest the addition of kissing too."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian was surprised by the birthday breakfast that greeted him when he and Kurt went to the kitchen to eat.

"Thanks, Sam. This looks fantastic. I'm guessing that the birthday breakfast is some sort of Hummel tradition."

"Definitely. I was surprised by my very first birthday breakfast celebration this year. I'm just carrying on with the tradition."

"And it wouldn't have been a surprise if I had come out here and done it. You'd have felt me get out of bed."

Kurt and Sam sang to him and let him choose first. They split what was left. After breakfast, Sam grabbed his stuff and went to the Navigator to wait for Kurt. Kurt gave Sebastian a hug and a kiss goodbye.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt was surprised to get a call from Papi on the drive to school.

" _Good morning, Papi, or afternoon there._ "

" _I'm fine. Thank you._ "

" _Sebastian is doing well too._ "

" _Oh, really? Sure. Do what you think is best. I already signed everything I needed to sign. So, please do what you think will be best._ "

" _I'm sorry, but I need to go. I'm driving to class._ "

" _Yes. I'll call back tonight. You can talk to Sebastian at the surprise party I planned for him. It will be a little late for you, but I'll call a little after midnight your time. The party's at 6:00._ "

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Kurt texted Sebastian at 4:00 and asked him to buy a pad of stave paper at the Yale bookstore before he headed home. It was completely true that his own bookstore had sold out, but he waited to ask until it would buy him the time he needed to get home before Sebastian.

He arrived to find Nick, Jeff, and Thad waiting for him.

"It's great to see you guys. I have to take the fastest shower ever. I'll be right back."

Ten minutes later, Kurt was back and Sam was home too.

"Okay, tie the balloons to the back of that kitchen chair," pointing to the one that Sebastian always sat in. "Sam, can you go grab our two desk chairs and put them up to the table as well?"

"Sure," Sam left to get the chairs.

"Thad, can you take the cake out of the container and set it in front of the balloons?"

Sam grabbed the plastic lid and put it out of sight.

"Perfect. Thank you all for coming. Let's just go sit on the sofa and wait for him to get here. We won't hide or anything. I don't want to scare him, just surprise him."

They talked about their classes and their summers for a while and then they heard Sebastian unlocking the front door. He came in and hung his bag on the hall tree and turned to walk into the living room and saw everyone.

"Surprise!" he heard from all five of them. He looked around and saw the balloons and cake. Kurt got up and walked over to him and hugged him. "Happy birthday, mon choix," he said into Sebastian's ear.

"Wow. I am really surprised. I had no idea." He pulled Kurt close. "You are very sneaky."

"Come on, we're doing things backwards and eating the cake before dinner." Kurt motioned for everyone to come sit at the table. They all sang Happy Birthday to him, this time in 4-part harmony.

"Thanks. Believe it or not, this is actually the first birthday party I've had. Let's eat the cake."

Kurt got out plates and handed a cake slicer to Sebastian. "Just a sec before you cut it. I want to take a picture. Kurt snapped one before he cut it and one as he was cutting it. Sebastian slid the slices onto plates and passed them out.

After they finished, Sam got the lid and they put the cake in the fridge. They moved to the living room. Kurt dialed Papi's number and handed it to Sebastian. He talked to his grandparents for a few minutes while everyone discussed what they wanted for dinner.

By the time Sebastian got off the phone, the consensus was Jamaican because no one else had ever tried it before.

"So, how about we go to the Jamaican place?" Sam asked.

"Sounds good to me. Are you guys staying overnight or driving back tonight?" Sebastian asked.

"We're staying," Nick answered.

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"This place is really cool," Jeff said.

"What do you recommend?" Thad asked.

"We've only been here once and we just ordered several small things and split them because we didn't know what to order, but everything we had was good. I'd say just pick something and try it. There's enough of us that if you don't like it, someone would swap with you," Kurt answered.

"Or we can order six different entrées and split them all family style," Sam suggested.

"Ooh, I like that idea," Jeff said excitedly.

"So, when can you guys come to Boston?" Nick asked.

"Well, Kurt works every Saturday morning, but we could head over afterward and stay until early Sunday evening some weekend," Sebastian answered.

"That would work," Nick said.

"It just can't be the third weekend in October because hopefully my parents are coming that weekend. It's family weekend at school," Kurt added.

"So, someone's been holding out on details. First we learn that Sebastian is living with you two here in Hartford instead of a dorm in New Haven when we get invited to his surprise party and then we see with our own eyes that you two are dating. And now I see that the two of you are wearing rings?" Jeff inquired.

"Good job, Sherlock," Sebastian said teasingly.

"Yes, we started dating three months ago," Kurt answered. "We told our families the same day. We didn't tell anyone else. We were attempting to remain under the radar with our location and our personal lives. We were foiled by the eavesdropping Rachel, who heard my father say that I was in France with Sebastian, and who took it upon herself to attempt to save me from myself by enlisting the help of my so-called friends. I told all of them to either get over themselves or to butt out. Rachel did neither and once she knew I was back in the States, she used Finn's phone to track my location. I never even considered that she knew that his phone was set up to do that. But my mistake led her to be able to track me and she shared that information with... who wants to guess?"

"Seriously?" Nick asked.

"He showed up at the shop where I work."

"Being invited to our place inducted you into a secret society which you all pledged allegiance to by agreeing to come, just in case you didn't notice the fine print on your invitations," Kurt deadpanned.

"Got it," Thad said.

The waitress brought their food out and they all started serving themselves while they continued to talk.

"So, that's why you don't exist in the cyberworld anymore." Nick stated.

"You got it. Kurt, Sebastian and I changed our Facebook settings and we deleted all of our non-family members from our friends list. It wasn't anything personal, but we were sure we had made the right choice after she used his stepbrother to find him," Sam said.

"But he doesn't know where you live, right?" Jeff asked.

"No. He knows that Sebastian was here when he came. He does not know that Sam was here. Neither one of us said anything about where we live when we talked to him. No one knows our address, except you three now. So, it really was a step of faith to give it to you. I know I already asked you not to tell anyone, but I'm asking again."

"Not a problem. I won't post any photos from this weekend to my Facebook page," Thad responded.

"We won't either," Nick added.

Jeff asked, "So how do all you like Hartford?"

They talked about the places they'd been, places they still wanted to go, and continued eating until the food was gone.

"This was a good choice it seems," Kurt laughed as he looked at the table full of empty plates.

"Definitely," Jeff said.

Each of them pulled out a $15 to cover their portion of the meal and a tip. Nick, Jeff and Thad pulled out an extra $5 each and put it on top. Sebastian looked at them questioningly. "We're leaving a big tip for the waitress in honor of your birthday."

Sebastian smiled and nodded.

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Back at the apartment, they piled on the sofa and watched a movie before heading off to bed.

"There are three sets of clean towels in Sam's bathroom, but any of you can use our bathroom in the morning if you want," Kurt said. "I'm really glad you could all come. I won't be here when you get up, but I'll be back when I get off work."

Nick and Jeff slept in Sam's bed. Thad and Sam slept in sleeping bags on the sofa. Kurt was really glad they had found two brand new sleeping bags that night they had gone looking. It saved him the time of having to go back and look for another one for this weekend.

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Sebastian came out the bathroom into a completely dark room. Kurt turned his phone on to provide a little light for Sebastian to toss his clothes into the laundry in the closet and make it to the bed more easily.

Kurt was lying on his back waiting for him. Sebastian got in bed. "Scoot toward the middle a bit." Kurt did. Sebastian sat up and got on his knees and knelt straddling Kurt's torso. "You are very sneaky."

Kurt answered, "But only for good things, I promise."

"I know, mon ange. I'm not upset. I loved the surprise. Thank you. I can only imagine how much effort you put into pulling that off."

"You're welcome. I wanted you to have a fun birthday."

"Well, you succeeded. It was great. And it's going to end in a most awesome way."

"And how's that?"

"With lots and lots of kisses for you."

"Shouldn't I be the one giving you lots and lots of kisses?"

"Oh, well, if you're offering, we can do that too," he teased.

"But my idea first, okay?"

"Sure."

Sebastian started kissing Kurt's hand and worked his way up and over his shoulders and back down to his other hand. "Mmm. I'm not sure whether doing the kissing is more enjoyable or being the one who gets kissed," Sebastian said before moving up to Kurt's lips and kissing him.

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Kurt took Sebastian's car to work so that the other five could go out more easily. Sam and Sebastian did their typical early morning Saturday run to Costco and dragged their three visitors with them. None of them had been in a Costco before and had fun wandering around eating samples. They picked out supplies for a picnic lunch for themselves and gave Sam the cash to cover their portion of the bill. They had decided on spending the afternoon at the park playing disc golf, having a picnic and just lazing around and talking.

Sam and Sebastian put the groceries away quickly, leaving out the picnic food to prepare. Sam and Thad played COD while Nick and Jeff helped Sebastian prepare the food they were taking to the park. By the time Kurt got home, they had everything ready to go. He got showered and changed quickly and they headed out. The six of them had a great time.

By 6:30, they had all showered and gotten ready to go out again, the three guests had packed their bags and put them in their cars, bed linens were washing, and they had cooked and eaten the two extra large pizzas they had brought home from Costco. Kurt convinced them all to work on one song for a half hour to sing together that evening. Afterward, they headed out to the karaoke place in three cars. Sam opted to ride with Thad and act as navigator.

Everyone decided to just wing it and pick songs to sing. Jeff and Nick even managed to get Sebastian and Thad to sing "Glad You Came" during one of the band sections of the evening. And not to be outdone, Kurt and Sam reprised their "Under Pressure" Duet. During the second band section the six of them got up and performed "Some Nights" with Kurt on lead. They had a great time and were laughing as they sat back down.

"Man, you should have stayed at Dalton with us. We could have killed it with you and Sebastian on lead," Jeff said.

"That was so much fun," Sam said. "And he probably would have had a better senior year if he had stayed, but it's over. You guys can always come here on the weekends and rock out with us. We can be our own band for fun."

About 20 minutes later, Kurt's name was called. He hadn't added his name for anything else, but he got up and went to the stage to tell them so no one would keep waiting. He got up there and laughed. He decided to go through with it. He got up on stage and said, "This is a request by one of my friends obviously, but here goes." The stomping and clapping started as the intro. "All the single ladies, all the single ladies.." From the audience, Kurt heard "Do the dance!" He rolled eyes and started dancing. "Now put your hands up..." He sang and did the dance as requested. He ended to wild clapping and whooping.

"Okay, so which one of you did that?"

Blank looks from everyone.

Sebastian finally spoke. "We'll since no one will confess, while you were gone, I was informed that it was my birthday gift from the person who added your name." And he leaned toward Kurt and kissed him.

"Fine, fine. I'm not mad, but you could warn a guy to wear pants that have more give to them. It's hard to dance in these pants."

Just then Elliott walked up. "That was awesome."

"Hey, Elliott, I didn't see you here when we got here. These are our friends from back in Ohio, but they're in college now too. This is Jeff and Nick. They go to Harvard. And that's Thad. He goes to Brown. Everyone, this is Elliott."

Everyone waved.

"Are Dani and Charlene here?"

"No, they had something else to do tonight."

"Well, grab a chair and sit with us." Elliott snagged an unused chair from a nearby table. "Are you going to sing? You're not Starchild tonight."

"Nah. I had to work this afternoon and didn't have time to go home and get myself all dolled up. And yeah, I'm going to sing something. My name's on the list already. That song has a great story to it. I can tell. So, spill."

Kurt told the story of his dad finding him with Tina and Brittany in the basement all the way through his coming out.

"Wow," Jeff said. "I didn't know all of it. I'd just seen the video."

"Yeah, me too," Nick said.

Thad said, "I've not even seen the video, just heard about it."

"Well, well," Kurt heard in a familiar British voice, "That was fantastic," Adam said.

"Adam, come sit down. I didn't know you were here."

"I texted, but I figured you couldn't hear it."

"How long have you been here?"

"Since before you got here."

"Sorry I didn't see you when we came in, but sit with us now. Grab another chair."

Adam pulled up another chair.

"So, introductions again. This is Elliott, Jeff, Nick, Thad, Sam and Sebastian. Elliott and his roommates who aren't here tonight are new friends. The rest of us knew each other in Ohio, which is where I'm from. Jeff and Nick go to Harvard, Thad goes to Brown, Sam is a senior in high school here, and Sebastian goes to Yale and lives here with me and Sam."

"I'm never going to remember all that, but I'm Adam. I'm a senior and I go to the same school as Kurt and I'm from Essex, England. It's nice to meet all of you. I really liked "Some Nights". You all have really different voices individually, but sounded really good together."

Several "thanks" were heard.

They sat around talking and a few still took turns singing. Sebastian got a text and he responded. Kurt was busy talking and didn't ask. About ten minutes later, Lisette came in with her suitcase and a couple of garment bags in tow. Kurt got up and walked her out to the Navigator and let her put everything in the back and took her back inside.

"Squish together back there," Kurt said when he got back to the booth. There wasn't really room for another chair, so they'd just have to make room. Once they scooted closer together, Kurt slid in and Lisette sat on the end. Kurt did the abbreviated version of introductions. Each person just waved slightly as they heard their name. "Adam, Elliott, Jeff, Nick, Thad. This is Lisette, Sebastian's mom. She's visiting from France."

"Well, now that I'm here, the two of you have to sing for me," she teased looking at Kurt and Sebastian.

"We don't have anything prepared," Kurt said.

"It's karaoke. You're supposed to get up and make a fool of yourself, right?"

"Not in this lifetime," Kurt laughed. "One of these bozos already had me do "Single Ladies WITH the dance tonight."

"We could sing what we sang last week. Maybe no one will notice or care," Sebastian said. "Adam, will you go add our names and "Run to You" to the karaoke list, please?" Adam nodded, added their names and came right back.

"Did you record what you sang earlier?" she asked.

"Well, all of them except the one we all six sang because we were all on stage."

"I recorded that one," Adam said. "I'll send it to Kurt so you can see it."

"Thanks..."

"Adam," he offered.

"You're not from Ohio," she laughed. "You must be one of their new friends."

"I'm from Essex."

"Elliott is a recent acquisition as well," Kurt teased. "The other three were at Dalton with me and Sebastian."

Lisette nodded.

"We didn't think you were coming until tomorrow morning," Sebastian said.

"I was done. And I wasn't interested in any more parties or high heels or fancy dresses."

She was wearing the type of clothes Kurt was used to seeing her in, designer shirt, fitted designer jeans and her favorite French boots.

"I see," Kurt teased and smiled at her.

"It's truly quite fun for the first four or five nights. Then my feet just eventually rebel and all I want to do is put my favorite boots and jeans on with a sweater and drink tea and read a book."

"I can see that. That's how I'm used to seeing you. I've never seen you all made up. Do you have photos?"

She laughed loudly.

"Of course you have photos. I mean of you in these fancy outfits."

"Sure, a few. I'll show you later."

Kurt and Sebastian's names were called. Lisette slid out and got her phone out to record them. Everyone enjoyed their song, even if it was a repeat. Sebastian hugged his mom before he slid back into the booth. Kurt did too.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Sebastian asked her.

"No, I ate before I left New York."

They stayed until about 10:00 because Thad, Nick, and Jeff had to drive a couple of hours to get back to their dorms.

"It was nice meeting all of you," Adam said. Elliott nodded in agreement. They waved as they split up in the parking lot, everyone heading to their own vehicle and leaving.

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That night Kurt was exhausted. He kissed Sebastian, then nudged him to turn over. He snuggled up behind Sebastian as close as he could get. "I love you, Bas."

"I love you too. Thank you for the amazing birthday."

"You're welcome." He kissed Sebastian's neck and squeezed his hand and promptly fell asleep holding Sebastian tight.


	26. Chapter 26

Kurt and Sebastian did their best to prep breakfast quietly, but they ended up waking Sam up anyway.

"Sorry, Sam," Kurt said.

"S'okay. I'm just gonna go in your bathroom and shower."

He took his towels and clothes he had pulled out the night before and headed into their room. By the time he was done, Lisette had come out as well and was sitting at the table while Sebastian and Kurt were plating everyone's breakfast.

"You two spoil me," Lisette said.

"Well, of course. Why wouldn't we?" Kurt asked smiling.

"Since I have class and work every day, I thought maybe we could all go to the Wadsworth Art Museum today for a while. None of us has been there yet. It's free for the three of us and $15 for you, Lisette. Hartford residents get in free, which I didn't realize until I looked this morning to check the price for tickets.

"Sounds good to me. We can go and then have a late lunch somewhere," she said.

"When we get back, I unfortunately still have some homework to do, but the three of you can do whatever you want," Kurt said. "I tried to get everything done ahead of time so I'd be free all day, but I didn't manage to do it."

"It's fine, sweetie. I understand. Schoolwork is a priority. I'm here for a vacation, not as a tourist. The museum sounds nice and then the rest of the time, I'll just be lazy, if that's okay with you three."

"Lazy works for me," Sam said smiling. "I can always paint or working a drawing. I'm still working on getting a good selection of pieces for my portfolio."

"Did you manage to get that eye appointment your teacher recommended?" she asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did. It's this Thursday. I had to wait to get the time and day I needed to fit with my schedule and when I could take Sebastian's car."

"Oh, good. I hope it's useful somehow."

"Yeah, me too. I'm not really sure what it's for. I've been to an optometrist before and the guy said I didn't need glasses. But this one is some kind of specialist, so I guess we'll just wait and see."

Lisette nodded.

"Oh, I have more cool news. We've been so busy the last few days, I didn't tell anyone yet," Sam said "My teacher applied for some kind of grant and I got that computer program and an iPad."

"That's great," Lisette said.

"I'm really excited."

"What's the computer program for?" Sebastian asked.

"It's some sort of specialized training to help me learn to spell better I think. She said it might seem childish because it's usually used with younger kids, but she's seen it help older teens like me before. I figured what can it hurt? I can't possibly be worse at spelling or whatever it's supposed to help, and if playing some kiddie game could help, why not try it."

"It will be interesting to see it," Sebastian said.

"I know. I just got it Friday and we've had company so I haven't had time to install it and try it yet, but I'll definitely let you see it," Sam said. "I've been using the school's iPad, but now I'll be able to work on stuff here at home on it too."

"I'm really glad for you," Lisette said.

"Me too," Kurt said. "I want to see the computer program too after you install it."

"No problem," Sam replied.

Kurt and Sebastian stood and started to clear the table.

Sam grabbed what was left. "You three can go get ready, I'll wash up the pans and load the dishwasher."

"Thanks," Kurt said as he and Sebastian went to get dressed.

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Kurt shut their room door behind him as he followed Sebastian into the room. He then followed Sebastian into their closet and closed the door behind them. Sebastian turned around and looked at him. Kurt stepped closer and put his arms around Sebastian's neck and started to kiss him. Sebastian got with the program quickly and pulled Kurt closer and held him around the waist. He returned the kiss and moved to push Kurt against the closet door and started kissing down his neck. By then Kurt was moaning softly. "As much as I love that, you're going to have to stop or my pants aren't going to fit right." Sebastian moved back to kissing Kurt gently on the lips.

"Mmm. But your neck is so tempting," Sebastian said quietly.

"I'll wear a scarf," Kurt said laughing.

"Spoilsport," Sebastian teased.

"I came in here to talk about whether you wanted to tell your mom. You had said you did and I thought that telling her before we go into the art museum might be fun because she could see where it happened."

"That sounds good, but I really think you came in the closet to make out. That's what it looked like to me when you started kissing me as soon as you got the door shut," Sebastian had the cutest smirk on his face.

"Well, I came in here to talk to you, but then I couldn't resist."

"Is that so?"

"You know it is. You're hard to resist, you know. Always looking so kissable and everything."

Sebastian pushed him back against the door again and started kissing his neck again. Kurt was back to moaning and then he started running his hands up and down Sebastian's arms. "Bas, we have to get dressed. They're waiting for us."

"A few minutes won't hurt them." Sebastian moved back to kissing Kurt on the lips.

"What did you spike your breakfast with?" Kurt teased.

"Nothing. I've just missed you. We didn't snuggle much last night and we got out of bed too quickly this morning."

"We'll snuggle extra tonight," Kurt said while continuing to kiss Sebastian.

"Okay. Okay. I'll get dressed." Sebastian grabbed the first pair of jeans he found, pulled out his Yale t-shirt and his favorite boots and went to the bathroom to get dressed. He kissed Kurt one last time on the way out of the closet.

Kurt put on colored jeans and one of the shirts he brought back from Paris. He was in need of a trip to the bathroom if he was going to be comfortable in his pants. Sebastian was sitting on the bed putting his socks and boots on when Kurt headed into the bathroom.

Sebastian went out to the living room while Kurt finished up getting ready.

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They took the Navigator because it was more roomy. Sam rode shotgun, so Lisette could sit with Sebastian. Kurt pulled into a spot at the end of the lot fairly close to the park. They all got out and Kurt walked toward the park instead of the museum. Sam came up on his right, Sebastian to his left, and Lisette to Sebastian's left. Kurt took Sebastian's hand in his as soon as he could reach him.

"This is a nice public space," Lisette commented. "Oh, look they have a Calder sculpture." She and Sam walked toward the sculpture.

Kurt and Sebastian slowed down a bit. "If you don't want to tell her, it's okay. I won't be upset. You can wait as long as you want to," Kurt reassured him.

"Are you kidding? I've been dying to tell her for the last few days. I almost let it out at the table last night, but we haven't told your parents either and I didn't want Nick, Jeff, and Thad to find out before your family," he said with a big smile on his face.

"Alright, then."

They approached Sam and Lisette. Sam could tell from the look on Kurt's face what they were about to do. He stepped back and gave them a little space and looked at the statue from farther away.

"So, Mom."

"Yes, sweetie," Lisette turned toward Sebastian.

"Wednesday morning, Kurt brought me here at sunrise. He asked me to marry him."

"Oh, honey. That's so sweet." She hugged Sebastian and then hugged Kurt. "So, did you set a date?"

"My plan is June 12. We haven't made any specific plans yet." Kurt answered.

"So, it's actually legal here?"

"Yes. It has been for the past four years. Connecticut was the second state to legalize same sex marriage."

"That's amazing. I'm so happy for the two of you. Have you told anyone else?"

"Just Sam, of course. We told him afterwards. He can read Kurt like a book and figured out something was up. Kurt can't keep secrets from him."

"Best friends are like that," she teased. "They become bloodhounds. They can smell secrets." She laughed. "Are you planning to tell your parents?"

"Yes. I was hoping to do it in person, but I don't want to wait so long that they feel like we kept it from them. So, we haven't figured out exactly what to do yet."

"We haven't told Dad yet either. You don't think he'll be upset do you? We're just starting to talk a little more here and there through texts. I don't want to ruin that."

"No, honey, he won't be upset. You could call him and tell him right now while I'm here and I can talk to him if he seems upset."

"Okay." Sebastian sat on a bench nearby and called Reid.

Kurt sat next to him and held his hand. Kurt looked up and saw Sam and Lisette talking while Sebastian was on the phone. Sam was on his way to getting a third mother figure with all the interest Lisette was taking in him. Kurt smiled. Sam's mom loved him, but she was always so busy working and taking care of two young kids.

Sebastian wasn't saying much. Lisette made her way over to the bench, concerned about what was going on. Before she got there, Sebastian disconnected the call. "He's not upset. But he was telling me that a bunch of stuff will change if we get married while we're still in school."

"He didn't say he'd quit paying your tuition did he?" Kurt asked.

"No, nothing like that. Just stuff about taxes and health insurance and things he said that we'd need to talk about. I don't think he was trying to talk me out of it. I think he's just very detail oriented and wants me to be completely informed before making a big decision."

"Okay. I'm still going to talk to him myself because I need to know whatever it is that he's talking about as well," Lisette said.

"I'm pretty sure I know what he's talking about. FAFSA forms, health insurance is the big one. Once we're married we can't stay on our parents health plans anymore. Our parents won't be able to claim us as dependents on their taxes anymore. Stuff like that."

"Well, don't worry about the health insurance. I can get that fixed for you. I just need to take a few of the leftover ID photos you had taken when you were in Paris. You kept them, right?"

"Yes, I did. Sort of souvenirs, but if you need them, I'll send two of them back with you."

"I'm sure we can download the forms you need to sign. You already listed our address are your French address, so it shouldn't be that hard and if I run into trouble, I'm sure that my mother knows someone who can sort it out with all of the years she's worked in the legal field."

"That would be great. Thank you."

"So, on to the museum?" she started walking back toward the museum.

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After their visit to the museum, they went to the sandwich shop that Sebastian had found online for lunch. Lisette enjoyed her conversation with the owner. And the food was very good. Kurt knew where he was going to get bread from then on.

They talked about the museum and the rest of their plans for the week while they ate.

Despite their protests, Lisette paid for everyone's lunches. "Let a mom have her fun," she finally said and they relented.

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Kurt went in their room and shut the door and settled on the bed to do the reading he needed to get done. He put ear buds in and listened to instrumental music to block out any sounds from the apartment. He wanted to push through and get everything done as quickly as possible because he wanted to go back out and be with Sebastian and Lisette.

Two hours later, with the focused determination he set out with, he managed to get all of the reading done. He didn't have any written assignments due, but he needed to do the first part of an assignment so he wouldn't fall behind. That's what he needed the stave paper for.

He sat down at his desk to listen to the music he was supposed to transcribe and worked until he had completed the song. He'd go over it again Monday once he had time to let the music escape his mind for a while and he could take a fresh look to make sure that he had done it correctly.

Sebastian came in to check on him when he was packing everything back up. He took Kurt's bag from his hand and put it in Kurt's desk chair and led him back over to the bed. "Can I hold you for a few minutes?"

"Always." Kurt could tell that something was bothering Sebastian, but that he wasn't ready to talk about it.

Sebastian lay down on his side of the bed and Kurt laid his head on Sebastian's shoulder and nuzzled his neck and Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt and held him close. They stayed like that for about ten minutes. Sebastian kissed the top of Kurt's head and released him from the hold he had on him. Kurt tipped his head up and kissed Sebastian. "Better?"

"Much."

"I'm done. We can go out and do something with your mom and Sam if you want."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Excellent." Sebastian's mood improved quickly.

They went out to the living room.

"So, who wants to play card games?" Kurt asked.

Sam laughed. "I think we should do what Philipe suggested and give Kurt a handicap in card games."

"Why did Philipe say that?" Lisette asked.

"Because Kurt always beats everyone at card games. Philipe thought that we should give him a handicap like they do in golf so that the rest of us would actually have a chance at winning."

"I see."

"I think we should just play in teams again. Lisette can be with me until she learns how to play the game."

"Fine, fine. No handicap and you train the newbie," Sam said.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After a couple of hours of games, everyone was ready for dinner. Kurt had planned for a chopped salad. They chopped up lots and lots of vegetables and made a huge salad because what they didn't use for dinner was going to be used for everyone's lunches the next day. Sam grilled some chicken. Kurt made dressing.

Sebastian packed up the other parts of their lunches, including things for Lisette that he was putting on the top shelf of the fridge.

Once the salad was tossed with the dressing, Sebastian packed up the lunch salads. Kurt plated the dinner salads and Sam brought in the chicken skewers and put them on top.

"You boys are quite efficient at this. And it looks delicious." They all smiled at her praise.

They enjoyed the salad and the conversation. When they were halfway done, Kurt got up and pulled the rest of Sebastian's birthday cake out of the fridge so it would warm to room temp before they were ready to eat it.

Kurt pulled his phone out and showed Lisette the photos of the party and the photo they took the morning of the proposal.

"Send me all of those in an email so I can show them to Mamie and Papi, please." Kurt sent them.

They all talked about their classes while they finished eating. Sam and Sebastian cleared the table, while Kurt cut the cake and gave everybody a slice.

"Oh, this is actually quite good," Lisette said. "It was from a store, so I assumed it would be like a typical American grocery store cake."

"Nope. I didn't order it from a grocery store. I would have made it myself, but that would have given away the fact that I was planning a party, plus I didn't really have time. I ordered it from a bakery in town that had good reviews online. I paid for it in advance and had Thad pick it up on his way here. He picked up the balloons too. Without his help, I would have lost the surprise aspect of the party."

"How'd he get in?" Sebastian asked.

"I don't actually know, now that I think about it," Sam said.

"I mailed him a key and a parking pass for those extra visitor spaces. The extra key is in my desk drawer right now. I paid for one. I figured it would come in handy if Lisette or my parents are ever staying with us and want to be able to come and go when we're not home."

Kurt started clearing the table. "Do you want to see the curtains in person? I know we sent a photo, but you can go look if you want."

Lisette got up and Sebastian followed her. Kurt finished loading the dishwasher, and then went to the bedroom.

Kurt got almost to the bedroom door and he could hear Sebastian. " _I know, Mom. He's really sweet to me like that all the time._ "

" _Why do you sound sad about it?_ "

" _I want to do things for him too, but he doesn't really like it._ "

" _Well, if it's any help hearing it from me, I think he actually does, he just doesn't know how to accept unconditional love._ "

Kurt made his entrance. "So, what do you think?"

"They look great. I told Sebastian I thought they completed the room and he laughed and said that he had said the exact same thing."

"Did you tell her about this summer?"

"Not yet. Let's go back out to the living room and sit down," Sebastian suggested.

Sebastian sat almost in the corner of the sofa facing the TV and extended his legs forward onto the sofa. Kurt sat down next with his back up against the other side of the corner and put his legs over the top of Sebastian's lap. They both put their hands in Kurt's lap and interlaced their fingers. Lisette looked at them and smiled. She could tell that they sat that way frequently by how comfortable they looked in that position.

Sam had gone into his room to work on a drawing for school, so Lisette switched back to French. " _So, tell me about this summer._ "

They explained the job situation. She was disappointed that they wouldn't be coming to Paris for Christmas, but she was excited that they'd be staying for eight weeks in the summer.

" _I understand, although it is disappointing that the two of you won't be able to be home for Christmas._ "

" _I told Sebastian that he could still go, but he said he was going to stay here with me._ "

Lisette saw a little bit of what Sebastian was referring to. Kurt was willing to do whatever he could to give Sebastian what he wanted, but had a hard time when the situation was reversed.

" _Maybe I can somehow manage to get myself assigned to some event in New York sometime in December. Then I could just take a few days or a week off and visit again._ "

" _You're welcome any time. Sam probably won't be here for over a week between Christmas and New Years. More than likely, he'll be in Kentucky visiting his family. He hasn't seen them since the middle of June,_ " Kurt said.

" _I'll see what I can do. I found those forms while you were studying. Can I print them somehow?_ " Lisette asked.

" _Sure, you can go connect your laptop to our printer. It's on the small chest between our desks. Actually, I can do it. Why don't you pick a movie? The French ones are over on the right,_ " Kurt suggested. Kurt got up and took Lisette's laptop to the bedroom.

Lisette picked a movie, put it in and sat back down with Sebastian and waited for Kurt to come back before starting it. Kurt brought the printouts back signed along with two of the mini photos out with him in an envelope and gave everything to Lisette. She looked through the stack and said that everything seemed to be in order. She was going to double-check if there was anything else she needed the next morning when offices would be open in France.

She watched Kurt wiggle around and snuggle up against Sebastian facing the TV this time. She grabbed a pillow and put it on the coffee table and put her feet up and relaxed too while they all watched the movie.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After the movie, Lisette pulled out her laptop and let Kurt and Sebastian look through all of the photos she took during Fashion Week.

" _I saw those two garment bags you came back with that you didn't have when you left. I'll want to see what you're hiding in there too,_ " Kurt teased.

" _Ah, well those would be the fancy dresses I was wearing while I was taking a lot of those photos._ "

" _Ooh. Maybe a private fashion show?_ "

" _No, but I'll show you the dresses._ "

" _Spoilsport_."

" _Ha! After your done looking through the photos, we can go in the bedroom and I'll show them to you._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

That night while Kurt waited for Sebastian to get out of the shower, he thought about what he had heard Sebastian saying to Lisette. He was making his sweet Bas sad when he refused his offers. He had to stop. No matter how hard it was for him to graciously accept Sebastian's gifts, they were acts of love. Kurt loved to give gifts. He knew how happy it made him when the person enjoyed the gift he had given. He always put a lot of thought into the gifts he gave. He was denying Sebastian the same pleasure. When he repaid Sebastian for things, that was a rejection of the gift of the love he put into giving it to Kurt. He knew that a lot of it came down to what Lisette had said. He didn't know how to accept unconditional love. He didn't feel worthy of it. Enough was enough.

Sebastian came out of the bathroom, turned off his light, and got in bed. Kurt sat up and moved toward the center of the bed and sat down. " _Come this way. I want to try something._ "

" _Sit facing me and put your legs in front of you, but slightly parted and bend your knees._ " Kurt slid up close and slipped his legs underneath Sebastian's and scooted up until they were chest to chest. " _You can relax your legs and wrap them around me, like I am with mine around you._ "

Sebastian nuzzled Kurt's neck and started kissing his neck. " _That feels amazing, but can we talk for a few minutes first?_ " Sebastian stopped the kisses, but stayed nuzzled close.

" _I heard what you said right before I walked into the bedroom this afternoon. I want to apologize. I'm really sorry._ "

" _For what?_ " Trying to remember what he was talking about at the time.

" _I think it just never clicked until I heard what your mom's response was. Me throwing you the party was an act of love._ "

" _I know._ "

" _But for whatever reason, even though I do things for you out of love, I kept feeling like I shouldn't let you do things for me. That was really, really wrong of me and I'm sorry. I won't do it anymore. I won't reject any form of love you give me. I can't do that to you. I'm so sorry that I've hurt you._ "

" _You mean it this time? You really get it now, don't you? It's never been about money or power or control. I just want to use whatever's within my reach to do something for you because I love you. You sing for me. You designed our room with my likes in mind. You make food I like. You did those things and a lot of others because you love me. So, you'll let me do things for you and not feel guilty any more?_ "

" _Yes. I've realized my misguided attempt at whatever it was - I don't even know anymore. But I was wrong. Forgive me?_ "

" _Always._ "

" _I didn't mean to hurt you._ " Kurt pulled him close.

" _I know, mon ange. I know. I forgive you._ "

" _Thank you._ "

" _So, you'll stop slipping money into my wallet when I pick things up like the stave notebook or the thread?_ "

" _Yes_."

" _Good. Can I go back to kissing you now?_ " he teased.

" _Please do._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Monday afternoon, Kurt's phone pinged with a text about ten minutes before the Adam's Apples were scheduled to meet.

Kurt met Adam by the bulletin board as the text requested.

Adam walked up and very seriously got down on one knee like a TV proposal and said, "I beg of you. Please join the Apples. I will do anything to get you to say 'yes.'"

"Well, first off, get up off your knees. You're causing a scene."

"That's what theater majors tend to do."

"Well, stop. Let's go over there and sit down," Kurt said pointing to a bench. Once they were seated, he spoke again. "Why are you so desperate to get me to join?"

"Because you're amazing. 'Single Ladies' and those other songs. You've got what we need."

"And what's that?"

"Loads of talent and no shame," he laughed.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I'm so busy Adam. I'm taking 11 classes and I work 20 hours a week."

"I'll make you a deal. I'll run lines with you for acting. I know all of those dialogues by heart and I know what the professors are trying to teach. I can give you pointers. I'm good. I have a 3.8 GPA and I can prove it if you want."

"Fine. But if I end up not being able to keep caught up on my work, I'll have to quit."

"Come on. It's about to start." Adam grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him across the atrium with a huge smile on his face.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Papi texted Kurt while the Apples were rehearsing. He asked for Kurt to call as soon as he had time. Kurt had class right after rehearsal, but he called as soon as he got out of class.

" _Sorry for the delay, Papi._ "

" _Say that again. Wait. Let me move outside where it's quiet. I think I misunderstood what you said._ "

" _Okay. I can hear well now._ "

" _I wasn't hearing things. How did it change so much?_ "

" _I see._ "

" _Just do whatever you think is best. I trust you and I don't have any time to look into anything else right now. I'm struggling to stay afloat right now. This is my 10th day of class and I'm just now getting my schedule in my head. It's just so very different from high school and from Sebastian's schedule._ "

" _Well, he has six classes and they meet on Monday/Wednesday/Friday._ "

" _Mine is different because I have 11 classes. Some meet Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Others meet only Monday and Wednesday. Some on Tuesday and Thursday. And some meet only on Fridays. It's really crazy._ "

" _Plus, I work 20 hours a week at the shop I told you about._ "

" _Yes, Papi, I'm eating well and sleeping. I just don't have time to do any research right now. I'm sorry._ "

" _Yes, whatever you think is a good idea is fine with me._ "

" _Thank you for everything. Bye, Papi._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt forced himself to focus as he stretched at the barre. Ballet was his last class of the afternoon before he headed off to work.

Adam was waiting for him outside the dance studio when class was over.

"Oh, hey Adam. If you want to talk, you'll have to walk with me to my truck. I can't be late to work."

"So, Saturday night was fun. Do all of you go there every Saturday night?"

"Well, Sam, Sebastian and I do. Elliott is usually there. Sometimes with his roommates, Dani and Charlene - both girls. The other three guys were just there because it was Sebastian's birthday on Friday and they came to visit. They might come once in a while."

"Too many names."

"You were sitting next to Elliott. Sebastian is the one I sang "Run to You" with. He's my boyfriend. Sam is the one with the dark blond highlights. He's my best friend. The three of us live here in Hartford in an apartment."

"I live in a dorm."

"Well, if I ever manage to get my act together and we reinstate movie night, you're welcome to join us. I hope you're a bit of a sci fi fan though. That's Sam's favorite genre and he's instructing us his geeky ways. Although Sebastian and I were already _Dr Who_ fans on our own before Sam's influence."

"Well, that sounds like fun. I love _Dr Who_."

"I'll let you know if we get movie night up and running again." By then they had reached the Navigator. "I'll see you Wednesday. I can't be late. Too much rides on my keeping this job." Kurt hopped in and backed up, waving at Adam as he pulled out of the space.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt walked in the door from work, greeted Lisette who was sitting on the sofa reading, and headed straight for the bathroom. He walked through the bedroom door, turned slightly back to shut the door behind him and turned back and was greeted by a smiling Sebastian. Kurt jumped back. "You startled me. I didn't realize you were in the closet."

"I'm sorry." He kissed him gently. "I'm glad to see you. I'll wait in here for you to get done."

Kurt grabbed pajamas, hurried to the bathroom, showered and came back out. Sebastian was sitting at his desk writing something when he came out, but he got up as soon as he heard Kurt step out of the closet after dumping his dirty clothes in the laundry basket.

He surrounded Kurt with a bear hug, followed by another kiss. Kurt remembered what he had said about accepting Sebastian's affection and love when it was offered and he relaxed into the hug and melted into Sebastian and let some of the stress slip away. Sebastian felt the change and smiled.

"Ready to face the dinner dilemma?" he asked in very solemn voice.

"What's the dinner dilemma?"

"Mom wants to order pizza," he said as if he were delivering the news of a smashed car window.

"And?" Kurt looked thoroughly confused.

"Mom wants to order one of those deep dish ones with all the meats. You had planned on making stir fry tonight," still sounding like it was a serious, life-altering decision he was being asked to make.

"So, we order the one she wants and one of those super thin crust ones with lots of veggies."

"Perfect," he squeaked as if Kurt had solved world hunger. Kurt laughed at him. He kissed Kurt again. "I love you. Come on and let's deliver the verdict." He took Kurt by the hand and moved to open their bedroom door.

"You're so silly sometimes. And I love that you make me laugh. Thank you for the bear hug. I needed that and didn't even know it." He leaned up and kissed Sebastian again. "I love you."

Sebastian led Kurt over to the sofa, sat in the corner and pulled Kurt into his lap. "Kurt, the Courageous has solved our dinner dilemma."

"Oh, he has, has he?"

"Two pizzas."

"I thought you were Sebastian the Sagacious," Kurt said. "Shouldn't you have been able to figure that one out on your own?"

"You two are silly. Order from whatever place that all of you like," Lisette said to Sebastian.

A few minutes later, Sam came in soaking wet.

"Oh, Sam. I didn't know it was raining." Kurt hopped off Sebastian's lap and ran into Sam's bathroom and brought one of his towels out to him. "It wasn't when I left work or I would have texted you and had you wait for me to come get you."

Sam slipped his shoes off right inside the door and slipped them onto the hall tree bench shoe rack.

"It just dumped bucket loads of water all at once about five blocks from here. It's just sprinkling now. I bet the brief downpour was when you were in the shower and no one could hear it over the water running."

He took the towel from Kurt and headed to his room to get another clean towel and his pajamas and went into the other bathroom to shower.

Fifteen minutes later, Sam was back and threw his towels and clothes in the washer. "It's a pajama party, right? He looked more closely. "Oh, I only saw Kurt I guess."

"Pajama party sounds great. I'll go shower before the pizzas come," Sebastian said.

Lisette got up and went and put her pajamas on and came back out as well. "Now, it's a pajama party," she said.

A few minutes later, the pizzas arrived. Lisette paid and tipped the delivery guy. Sebastian came out a few minutes later.

"Alright boys, pajama pizza party time. We need a good movie for this."

" _Back to the Future_ , definitely," Sam said.

"Put it in," Kurt said as he grabbed plates and napkins. Sebastian grabbed the pizza boxes and put them on the coffee table.

"Ooh. All the meats and a veggie pizza. Good mix," Sam said as he opened the boxes.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

While the other three continued on with the pajama party by watching the next two _Back to the Future_ movies, Kurt went to study and finish his homework. He put his ear buds in and reviewed the piece he had to transcribe. He was pleased with what he had done originally and packed it away to turn in the next day. He did more reading and worked on upcoming assignments to not leave anything to the last minute.

By the time Sebastian came in to go to bed, Kurt was packing everything into his backpack for the next day. He carried it out and hung it on the hall tree and checked to see if their lunches had been packed. He found one for him and Sam. Sebastian was obviously planning to go out with his mom.

He went back into the bedroom and shut the door. Only Sebastian's light was on and he was in bed. Once Kurt sat on the edge of the bed, Sebastian turned the light off. He waited for Kurt to lie down and then he scooted up and waited for Kurt to move his arm so he could snuggle up and lay his head on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt started running his fingers through Sebastian hair.

"Mmm. I love it when you do that. It's so relaxing."

"It relaxes me too."

"How was ballet?"

"Well, I'm not the worst student, so that was a relief. And there was no yelling or name calling, which was even more of a relief."

"I bet. After what you said you saw in New York, I know you were nervous about it."

"I was. But I think it's going to be okay. But I did cave today."

"What do you mean?"

"I joined the Adam's Apples."

Sebastian laughed. "I saw that coming you know. You just can't resist getting up and performing and the group looked like so much fun. I knew you'd want to join."

"Are you still going to audition for an a cappella group?"

"No. I've changed my mind."

"Why?"

"I looked into it and it's a lot of team work and bonding and rivalry with the other groups. Meetings in the evenings, weekends, performances, parties together. I'm just not ready for that yet. Maybe never. It's like the fraternity thing. I'm just not that kind of guy. I'd rather stay home and read a book with you or watch movies with Sam."

"You were great as the lead Warbler, but I know that was different because it was during the school day and it didn't involve partying, driving an hour each way to evening rehearsals and what not. You just need to do whatever is right for you. We can still sing at the karaoke place and you know I'm always up for singing pretty much all the time if you want someone to sing with. Sam's got his guitar. We can be an acoustic trio right here at home."

"You know that sounds a lot better," Sebastian said. "We need to see how to fit that and a movie night in. I want you and Sam to still spend time together. I don't want you two to just see each other in passing."

"Me either. I was thinking about it earlier. We should all have a decent idea of what's expected of us by this weekend. I think we should have a family meeting Sunday morning and get our family activities prioritized."

"We are a family now, aren't we?"

"Yep. You and Sam have become friends in your own right."

"That we have. We're a crazy set of Musketeers. I think my mom wants to adopt him. He's already worked his charms on her too."

Kurt laughed. "I first noticed it at breakfast and then when we went to the museum. She was mothering him in the park before we went inside the museum."

"Well, she always wanted a bunch of kids. Now, she's got three boys."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt drove Sam to school. On the way there, Sam asked, "How does Lisette speak English so well? I've been meaning to ask you, but hadn't managed to get you where she couldn't hear."

"She went to college in New York and went to Yale for graduate school. That's where she met Reid, Sebastian's dad. Then, she lived in Ohio until Sebastian was six. So, she lived here in the States from 18 to mid-thirties, like 15 years or so."

"I see. So, both of his parents went to Yale."

"Yes, and his grandfather and his great grandfather. He is a fourth generation Yale legacy."

"Wow. That's why it's so important to his dad then?"

"Yeah. But his dad has lifted the requirements that were put on his father and on him. They were both required to study law, join a particular fraternity and then work in the family law firm. Reid broke that tradition and is allowing Sebastian to choose his own major and obviously he is living with us and not pledging the fraternity."

"That's interesting. I only know what I saw that time we were at his house when his dad didn't come out the whole time."

"Sebastian and I found out some things since then and Reid is getting help. I don't want to break a confidence. That's why you see Sebastian's views on his dad changing, but it's a struggle. They're working on it together."

"Thanks for the ride. See ya later."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Sam came home to a nearly ready 3-course French meal. Sebastian and Lisette had been to the sandwich shop and bought French bread. They found French cheese somewhere. Kurt hurried into the bedroom, showered changed into nice clothes and went back out to the kitchen. Sam had gone and changed into clean clothes as well.

They all sat down to the beautiful bowls of soup that Sebastian had made. Everyone enjoyed the main course and the dessert as well.

"Well boys, I've enjoyed being here with all of you. I hate that I have to leave already, but work is in Paris and I've got to head back. I will see if I can find ways to sneak back as often as possible."

"Kurt, I left a copy of the photos I took. Just don't show the DVD to anyone, like I said."

"Thank you."

"Before you go, let's all sit on the sofa and get a few photos of all of us," Kurt said.

After a few photos, Kurt and Sam cleared the table while Sebastian took Lisette's suitcases out to his car. She hugged Sam and thanked him for the generosity of letting her have his room for so long.

She pulled Kurt out the front door with her and hugged him there. " _I'm so happy for you and Sebastian. My only advice for you is to let him love you. I know it's hard for you sometimes. But you mean everything to him. I'm so glad you two are together. You can do this. Just don't push him away. He's had more than enough of that. So, have you. Hold each other close. I hope to see you soon, Kurt._ "

" _Me too. Thank you for everything._ " He stood by the door and waved as they drove off, and then he went back inside to help Sam pack up lunches from the leftovers.

"She's a really cool person," Sam said.

"Yes, she is. I hope she manages to find a way to come again before Spring Fashion Week."

Kurt put the leftovers into the lunch bags and put them in the fridge.

"The kids at school don't tease you about your lunches do they? You've not really talked about your classmates much."

"Mostly, I'm just that nerdy kid who takes a ton of art classes, which is fine with me. I already have a best friend and a second best friend. I don't really need to find someone to be close to at school. No one is hassling me about anything. The school doesn't tolerate bullying at all, not that anyone is trying to bully me because no one is. But it's just a different atmosphere than McKinley. There's no shoving in the hallways. Someone would get suspended if they intentionally threw a slushie at someone. The teachers that I have care. I can't say anything about the others. But I'm there to learn to be a better artist and the teachers are teaching me that. Other than that, the resource teacher is helping me with preparing for the SAT and college."

"Sounds like the school is what it seemed to be online, which is what I was hoping for. You like it well enough and you're learning, which is a step up from McKinley. Oh, before I forget, we're having a family meeting Sunday morning over breakfast. I want to reinstate movie night and I want to add music night too where we all sing together."

"Sounds fun. I won't make plans to go anywhere early on Sunday. Just so you know, I'll be taking the SAT on October 6th. That way if I don't do that well, I still have time to retake it again on November 3rd. I need to ask where I have to go to take it. Hopefully just to the school. I got the extra time the school requested and I get to sit by myself."

"Excellent. Someone really needs to make Miss Pillsbury learn to be a decent counselor. Being nice is her only redeeming quality. Never mind, no soap box. That's all over. Now things are being done right. Focus on the now."

"You sounded like a self-help guru there."

"Ohmmm," Kurt hummed as he tried hard not to laugh. Sam wasn't successful and burst out laughing.

"Go do your homework Mr. Zen."

"I wish doing homework brought inner peace. I'd be so zen, you'd have to use a wheelbarrow to move me."

Sam just laughed more.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

As the rest of the week went on, Kurt began to feel more at ease with his schedule. He didn't think it would become ingrained at any point in time because it just felt too unbalanced, but he was getting used to it.

Sam went to his optometrist appointment on Thursday. Sebastian took him on the that chance Sam would end up having his eyes dilated. The appointment went well, but it wasn't like any other optometrist appointment he had ever been to. In the end, it was recommended that he come back for vision therapy and he was prescribed glasses with prism lenses. His insurance would cover the vision therapy and the glasses, which he could pick up the following week.

He would need to make an appointment to start the therapy, which would consist of coming in one day a week and then doing six days of exercises and activities. He decided to talk to Kurt and Sebastian about the therapy because he'd need a vehicle to get to the office. He asked for available time slots so he could see if he could work any of them into his schedule.

Sebastian decided to do some reading for his Spanish lit class while he waited for Sam. He had picked up four clients for French tutoring and two for Spanish, which was exactly the number he was looking for. He focused his mind back on getting the assigned pages read. An hour later, Sam was back with a paper of possible therapy times. A few minutes later his name was called and Sam left again to go choose his new glasses. Sebastian went back to reading. Fifteen minutes later, Sam was back and ready to go.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The three of them were sitting on the sofa after dinner. "Why don't you just take the earliest appointment on Tuesdays. That way you don't miss any of your art classes. It's only for six weeks. We can make it work somehow. If this is something that has any possibility of actually helping you, we can find a way to make it work for six weeks," Kurt said emphatically. "I've never heard of any of this, but that doesn't make it invalid or unscientific. Maybe it only helps 5% of people who do it. Doesn't seem like much unless you're one of those 5%, then it means a lot to you."

"Now, we see the side of the Kurt known as the 'determined Kurt'," Sam said in his best impression of a nature documentary narrator.

Sebastian started laughing.

"Fine, fine. Whatever. But if this might help you, then you're doing it," Kurt said, then added, "And you'll wear the glasses."

"Yes, Mom."

"Now, you're just asking for it," Kurt said as he grabbed a pillow and whacked Sam with it."

"If you're going to wrestle, take it outside," Sebastian said.

"Yes, Dad," Sam smarted back.

Sebastian grabbed him around the waist, giving Kurt a better chance of whacking him. After one good hit to the torso, Kurt put the pillow back. "I'm good. I'm done. I just.."

Before he could get the sentence out, Sam had pulled him into a hug. "I know. I know. I'll go do the therapy and wear the glasses. I promise."

Kurt was crying.

"Hey, hey now, don't cry. This is good."

"It is. They're good tears. Hopeful tears. Maybe the optometrist offers some kind of help to guys like me who cry too easily. Maybe my tear ducts are defective."

"Nope. You just have an extra big heart," Sam said.

"That leaks out my eyes? I need a cardiologist then," Kurt laughed. "I bet I can be in some medical journal. Photo on page 45, male patient age 19. His heart leaked out his eyes. No known cure."

"Now, you're just being ridiculous," Sam said.

"It's better than crying more," he said as he wiped his eyes.

"My good news is that I got my sixth and final client for the semester," Sebastian said.

"That's great!" Sam said excitedly.

"Congratulations," Kurt offered. "I hate to say this, but I have work to do." He got up and hugged Sam. "I'm glad things are moving forward. It's exactly what I had hoped for."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian stayed in the living room and read more of the Spanish novel he had been reading earlier that day. After an hour or so, he put the book down and just lay back thinking about the future. The question of why Kurt wanted to graduate more quickly came back into his mind again. He also thought about their wedding. What would Kurt want? What did HE want? It would be expensive to have people fly in from France.

He'd want his mom for sure. What about Mamie and Papi? Kurt's grandparents? What about even telling Kurt's parents? They hadn't done that yet. He got up to go see how long Kurt thought it might take to finish what he was doing.

He opened their bedroom door to find Kurt in nothing but the dance shorts and ballet slippers going through ballet positions with classical music playing quietly in the background. The sight caught Sebastian off guard and nearly made him forget why he had gone to talk to Kurt in the first place.

Kurt obviously heard him come in and turned to look at him. He saw Sebastian looking him up and down and staring. "Um, let me get a..."

Sebastian shut the door behind him, which had forgotten to do due to his loss of focus upon entering the room. "Yeah, whatever it is, you don't need it. God, you're hot. Don't stop on my account."

"I'm going to need some mirrors. I can practice easily enough because of the hardwood floors in here, but without being able to see myself, I could be practicing a position wrong and that won't help at all."

"We'll look for some mirrors," Sebastian offered. "Really don't stop on my account. I'll just lie on the bed and stay out of your way." Sebastian walked over to the bed and lay down on his stomach, propped up on his elbows, facing where Kurt was practicing.

Kurt went back to practicing the positions and doing a few pliés in each position to get a feel for what his body needed to be doing. Afterward, he sat down on the floor to do more stretching.

Sebastian decided right then that he was going back to the store where he bought the shorts and he was buying another pair for himself. He was going to get back into ballet. Being fit and flexible was a good idea, especially if he got to watch Kurt in those shorts.

"Did you order a dance belt?"

"Yes, I remembered a couple of days ago that I hadn't done it. I ordered one just like yours. It should come soon, probably tomorrow. You came in here for a reason, I'm assuming. Did you want to shower first or something?"

"No. I was thinking about us getting married. And I just wanted to see how long it would be until you were going to be done with your schoolwork. I wanted to talk to you."

"Well, I finished my reading. If you can focus while I'm doing this, we can talk."

"Mmm. I'll try."

Kurt laughed.

"I was just wondering if you had ideas. I know you planned Burt and Carole's wedding."

"I did. I used to plan weddings a lot. My dad probably thought I'd grow up to be a wedding or party planner. I had a whole bunch of wedding and bridal magazines in a trunk in my bedroom in our old house."

"I've seen _The Wedding Planner_ with my mom. I could totally see you as the character Jennifer Lopez played. Safety pins and a whole kit of things to fix last-minute catastrophes. You're so organized and practical."

"Thanks. I could probably see myself doing well at it, but I think it would only be fun a couple of times. People get really nasty when they're stressed out and I think that would eventually take a toll on me."

"I can see that. Dealing with the 10th bridezilla in a month or two would make me want to quit," he laughed.

"Have you ever thought about what you'd want?" Sebastian turned over and stared at the ceiling. He really couldn't focus watching Kurt stretching like that.

"Well, growing up in France, the wedding is all about the celebration. The ceremony itself isn't the big focus like it is here I guess from seeing a few movies. I don't honestly know much about American weddings. I never really envisioned a lot of people. I guess mostly because the weddings I've been to have been for people who had huge extended families and I don't really have that, so I never thought about my wedding - if I ever had one - being a big production."

"I think with people who wait until they're older to get married - they've had a lot of time as adults in the workforce where they've made a lot of acquaintances and then they can't invite Rick without offending Sally and their guest list just grows to epic size. And then family members, like you mentioned. I don't have a large family here, so that was never an issue. Adding Finn and Carole doubled my family size to four."

"I can see that about the difficulty in drawing a line on who gets invited and who doesn't once you have a job and you interact with a lot of people consistently."

"You said the wedding in France is more about the celebration. Do you mean a party, like a reception after the ceremony?"

Sebastian nodded. "I've only been to a couple of weddings and I was younger, but there was food and dancing. The ceremony was short and simple, but the party was more of the focus. People celebrating with the couple and having fun."

"So, if we just had our parents here for a simple ceremony and then we have a party, reception, dinner, whatever when we get to France, that would be a compromise, right? I mean we can't even get married legally in France, so holding a wedding ceremony there would just be for show, right?"

"Right. I don't know anything about the political aspect of it. If we're legally married here, I don't know if the French government will recognize that or not. I guess it doesn't make a difference right now since we're living here and visiting there."

"I would place my bets on France not recognizing the legality of it. The US states that haven't legalized same sex marriage do not recognize same sex marriages that have been performed in states that have legalized it. So, we can get married here, but as soon as we drive into a state that hasn't legalized same sex marriages, we won't be considered married."

"That's really dumb, but I understand."

"You didn't answer my question though. I guess it comes down to how your family members like Mamie, Papi, Sophie, Robert, and Philipe will feel if they aren't invited. I really don't want them to feel left out, but spending nearly $10,000 to come to a short ceremony seems ridiculous to me, especially when we're going to be flying there the same week. And if they all come, my grandparents will feel bad that they couldn't afford to come. I seriously don't need a $10,000 party, but I mean if they want to celebrate with us, maybe we could just rent a room in a nice restaurant and have a nice dinner together once we get to France. Unless there are other people you'd want to invite and we can have whatever traditional celebration you want to have."

"I think you're right. Having a ceremony in France won't matter because it's not legal anyway. But I like the idea of a dinner somewhere. We can have your grandparents and even all of those cousins of yours from Alsace, if you want. It would be a lot less expensive than having seven or nine people come here from France. We'd have to get hotels for a couple of nights on top of the plane tickets."

"So, we have a simple ceremony here. Just our parents? I'll be honest, I can't exclude Sam. He's my best man."

"I get that. I'd choose Philipe for that. I'll talk to Mom. She can talk to Mamie and Papi. Maybe she can come up with a way to keep them from getting their feelings hurt if I just have Philipe fly here for the ceremony. You're not going to invite Finn?"

"I don't know how to deal with that. He and I aren't close. I'll have to think about it. I don't want to hurt Carole. She's even apologized for how he treated me. It's not like she doesn't know that we aren't close."

"That's tough."

"It is. At one point, I really hoped we could be close. After Sam came back, it just really became obvious that Finn and I just were never going to be close. That's when I realized that wasn't that he had to share his mom with me or that he had to share space that made him not want me around. When Sam moved in, it was like 'bro time all the time' with Sam. He didn't mind sharing his mom or his space with Sam. 'Bro' hugs, video games, etc. - those were all normal things to do with Sam, but not with me. I'm not actually bad at video games. I just never had any interest. Sam taught me to play all those games. I'm also not bad at sports. I just never had any interest. Playing sports meant having to spend even more time with the guys who harassed me. I mean I won the football team their only winning game my sophomore year and that didn't stop the bullying. I thought if they could see that I could be an asset to the team, that maybe I could at least live in peace. I didn't expect friendship bracelets and invitations to their sleepovers."

Sebastian laughed. "I get it. You can do all of the things that Sam can do, play sports, play video games, but you're gay, so Finn can't do them with you."

"That's pretty much exactly it. If I beat Finn at something, then it would be a blow to his masculinity, like having a GIRL beat him at a video game or a sport. I know you've heard me tease Sam about calling me or you 'dude'. But he knows that I actually like it, but only from him. I NEVER let Finn get away with calling me that. If and when he treats me like a guy, he can call me 'dude'. Sam treats me like one of the guys. He can call me 'dude' all he wants."

"I get it."

"So, inviting Finn to a wedding that he doesn't really accept as valid when he has treated me like girl all this time doesn't appeal to me. Honestly, if I told him we're getting married, my bet is one of the first questions will be - 'so you'll wear white and Burt will walk you down the aisle' or something equating me to the bride and you as the groom."

"Weird."

Kurt sat down on the floor at the end of the bed and looked up at the ceiling. "What so interesting on the ceiling?" he teased.

"My ability to focus was greatly impaired by my previous view."

"Is that so?" Kurt laughed.

"It is."

"So, we're agreed on our parents and Sam. You'll talk to your mom about Philipe. I guess I'll talk to Carole about Finn after we actually tell them we're getting married."

"Are you planning to do that soon? I feel like if we keep putting it off, it makes it seem like we're not secure in our decision, if that makes sense."

"I get it. I'm going to go shower. We can keep talking afterwards or during if you come too."

"What?"

"Shower."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that my ability to hold an intelligent conversation in the shower with you is non-existent."

"Well, I can't say that I could either. I wouldn't know. I've never tried," he teased.

"Me either."

"Well, the offer remains open. You know where to find me." He got up, winked at Sebastian, grabbed pajama pants and went into the bathroom."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They were both in bed snuggled up - Sebastian's head was on Kurt's shoulder and Kurt was running his hand through Sebastian hair when Sebastian asked, "Were you teasing?"

"About the shower?"

"Mmm hmm."

"No, I wasn't teasing."

"You're not upset I didn't join you are you?"

"I would like you to sometime, but I'm not upset."

"I couldn't tell whether you were teasing or not."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be confusing. I was going for alluring. I'll have to work on that."

"No, you were plenty alluring. It just wasn't something we had talked about before, so I just took it as a joke."

"I can see that. We can talk about it now, if you want. You've already seen me. So, it's more a matter of what you're comfortable with."

"But you were terrified then, so that doesn't count for me in thinking that you were actually okay with it."

"I can understand that. But it is okay with me. I will still be nervous because it's new to me. But some night, whenever you're ready, you can join me, okay?"

"Okay." He traced I LOVE YOU on Kurt's chest and went back to the random patterns he was doing before. He leaned up and kissed Kurt.

Kurt shifted to his side so they could kiss more easily.

"We were talking about family members earlier," Kurt resumed their wedding conversation from earlier.

"Umm hmm."

"I've never heard you mentioned you dad's mom."

"Oh, that's because she died before my mom and dad met. I don't really know anything about her at all."

"Oh," Kurt paused, and changed the subject. "So, we're going to have a very small, family-only wedding. Any ideas on what you want to wear?"

"I figured suits, I guess. But it can be more dressy or even casual, if you want."

"I think we can look at some men's fashion magazines online, maybe and get some ideas. I don't want to dress identical. We're not twins."

"My dad is used to wearing suits. He'll wear one as his default setting."

"My dad's default is faded out jeans, a flannel shirt and a baseball cap. But his second default setting is a suit now that he's been in DC so long."

"Maybe we incorporate our favorite colors somehow."

"Mmm hmm. What about last names? Hyphenate, keep?" Kurt asked.

"Sebastian Alexander Hummel-Smythe. Sebastian Alexander Smythe-Hummel," Sebastian said, trying out the options.

"I think Hummel-Smythe is easier to say than Smythe-Hummel.

Sebastian repeated both ways several times. "I think you're right."

"But even if we decided to hyphenate our last names legally, we can still just go by our own last names for everyday stuff. I'm okay with either option."

"I'm leaning toward just keeping our names the way they are. But we can keep thinking about it."

"I just know it's one of those things that people will end up asking. And if things go the way they have for me, everyone will assume that I'm just going to take your last name."

"Because you're quote 'the girl' unquote."

"You got it."

"We could shock them all and change our last name to my mom's last name."

Kurt laughed. "That would shock everyone. Kurt Delarue."

"Hummel suits you more. It's just what I'm used to."

"Sebastian Delarue sounds strange to me too. Smythe suits you because that's what I'm used to."

"So, we just keep our own names?"

"I think so."

"As long as I get to keep you, the name part doesn't really matter to me." Sebastian kissed him.

"That's exactly how I feel about the whole thing."


	27. Chapter 27

Kurt came rushing out of the bedroom, checking to make sure that everything was ready.

"Calm down, mon ange." Sebastian enveloped him in his arms and held him close. "Everything is ready. Sam's bed linens have been washed and put back on. He made room in his closet for their clothes, and the food will be ready when they get here." He rubbed his hands up and down Kurt's arms. "Why are you so nervous about this? You didn't panic when my mom came five weeks ago."

"Your mom is cool. She's relaxed. I wasn't trying to prove I'm an adult to her."

"There we go. Now, you're being honest. You're worried about telling your parents that we're engaged. You're worried you're going to get the 'but you're just a kid' lecture from your dad."

"Exactly."

"I want you to listen carefully, okay?" Sebastian pulled Kurt back to him and held him close. "The more you panic, the less adult we seem."

"Right, right. Of course you're right. Kiss me."

Sebastian complied with his request.

"Better?"

"Much."

"More?"

"Definitely."

After a few minutes, Kurt pulled back a little. "I'm fine. I'm relaxed. I'm going to need a lot of kisses." Kurt kissed Sebastian again.

"That will not be a problem," Sebastian laughed. "Every time you look like you're getting tense again, I'm going to kiss you somewhere."

"Well, that could be fun. I might fake being nervous just to get more kisses." Kurt laughed.

"Now, now. You know there's no limit on the available kisses. I offered you an unlimited supply way back in June."

"Best lifetime supply offer ever." Kurt stroked Sebastian's cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too. Were having a cookout and then going to the football game. This will be fine," Sebastian stated reassuringly.

"Too bad there's not a dark back row like in movie theaters. It would be a lot more fun going to a boring football game if we could make out in the dark in the back."

Sebastian broke out laughing. "I think we need box seats for that."

"But the trade off is that tomorrow we're going to a show. The upperclassmen are putting on short plays and dance performances."

"Is Adam in any of them?"

"Yes. A play he wrote is being performed and he's one of the minor characters in it."

"Anyone else you know performing?"

"Some of the upperclassman in the Apples are in different pieces. Are you sure you're okay going to stuff with my parents and Sam tomorrow morning? I wish I could get off, but at least I can get off at 11:00 by going in at 6:00 instead. So, I won't miss the luncheon. I'll head home, shower, change and get there before it starts at noon."

"It's fine. We'll be fine. We'll take the campus tour and I'll point out the buildings you have classes in."

There was a knock at the door.

"They're here." Kurt froze.

Sebastian kissed him. "You're fine. We're adults. We've got this."

"Yes. Yes, you're right." He kissed Sebastian and then headed to the door to open it.

"Hi, honey," Carole said to Kurt as she came through the door. Burt was right behind her. Once they were both inside, everyone started hugging.

"It's good to see you. It's been a while - three months," Burt said.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too, Dad. Getting our schedules to line up is hard when I don't get days off like I could working for you," Kurt said with a smile.

"Well, I am the best boss," Burt teased.

"Good to see you, Sebastian," Burt hugged him.

"You too, Burt."

"Come on this way and we'll put your suitcases in Sam's room and then give you a tour."

Burt and Carole followed them. "So, this is Sam's room. He made room for you to hang things in his closet and left some hangers for you to use," Kurt said opening the closet door. "This door leads to the bathroom. Clean towels are hanging for you whenever you want to shower."

Carole looked around the room. "Sam's artwork is really good. He never brought any of it home when he lived with us. He's got a lot of space here. It's like his own studio in here."

"He's working on pieces for his portfolio," Sebastian said.

"Being here has been great for him," Kurt added. "I'll let him tell you about it."

"Where is he?" Burt asked.

"Oh, he'll be here in about ten minutes. He had to stay after work for a short staff meeting."

Kurt walked back out of the room and everyone followed. "So, you saw the kitchen and living room when you came in. Our room is on the other side of the living room." Kurt walked through the room and led them into the bedroom. "So, this is our room. Closet. Bathroom."

"I like the curtains. Those are new since the photos you showed us," Carole said. "You did a good job fitting everything in here without it feeling crowded."

"Thanks. The open space in the middle gives me room to practice dance at home and not have to spend extra time on campus in the dance studio. Sebastian and Sam worked together to get the mirrors on the bathroom door, the closet door and the space in between so I can see what I'm doing. It's like a mini dance studio."

"Your paintings have frames now," Carole noted.

"Oh, yeah. Sam's been making them in his woodworking class," Sebastian responded.

Kurt walked back out of the room. "You can unpack if you want. Dinner will be done in about 15 minutes. I just have to finish up the grilling."

"We're having meat?" Burt asked incredulously.

"It's a holiday. We're having burgers, oven-baked fries, baked beans, apple pie and beer."

"Meat and no vegetables. I think we're in the wrong apartment, Carole," Burt teased.

"This is our version of Thanksgiving. We made your favorite foods and you get to be thankful it's not tofu or salad," Kurt teased back.

"I'll take it. Burgers and fries are better than turkey anyway," he laughed.

Carole handed Sebastian the car keys. "The beer's in a cooler in the trunk."

Burt looked confused.

"You didn't think we went out and got beer illegally did you?" Kurt asked. "I had an accomplice." He pointed at Carole.

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"That was really good. I haven't had a really good burger since we snuck off back in May," Burt said to Kurt.

"It was all really good. You guys are good cooks," Carole added.

"Do you two need to change or anything?" Kurt asked. "We'll head out to the game as soon as we clean up."

Burt and Carole went back to Sam's room to get into more casual clothes and grab their jackets. When they came back, they found Kurt and Sebastian sitting on the sofa waiting for them.

After they came out, Sam went in to change out of his uniform to go to the game.

"Come sit down for a minute. We want to talk to you for a few minutes before we go," Kurt said.

Sebastian scooted a little closer to Kurt and took his hand. Burt and Carole sat down on the other section of the couch and faced them.

"We're engaged. We're getting married in June."

Burt looked concerned, but let the expression slip quickly.

Carole smiled really big and bounced in her seat a little. "I knew this was coming. I just knew. Congratulations! I'm happy for the two of you."

"Thank you," Sebastian said.

While Carole was talking, Burt pulled himself together and stood up and walked around the coffee table. Kurt stood up. Burt pulled him into a hug. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you," Kurt said.

"Have you already started making plans?" Carole asked.

"Let's head to the game before we miss the kick off," Kurt said. "We can talk while Dad watches the game."

Kurt, Sebastian, and Sam grabbed their jackets from the coat closet on the way out the door.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kurt leaned to whisper in Sebastian's ear. "I'm going to get Carole to come with me so I can talk to her alone for a bit. I don't think my dad will notice, but if he asks, say that we'll be back with drinks."

"Got it." He turned and kissed Kurt before he got up.

Carole followed Kurt out of the bleachers down toward the concessions area. Kurt walked past the vendor area to a bench far enough away that no one was sitting on it.

"What's up, sweetie?"

"You asked about our plans. They're very simple, but I'm afraid they may be hurtful and I don't want them to be."

"Are you eloping?"

"No. But since all of Sebastian's family is in France and that's where my extended family is, what we've been discussing is just having you and Dad, a best man for me, Sebastian's parents and a best man for him."

"So, you weren't planning to invite friends..."

"Honestly, neither of us have any close friends except our best friends. We're friends with Nick, Jeff, Thad, Elliott, Dani, Charlene, Adam, and Sebastian's friendly with a few people he has classes with and so am I, but this is something really personal to us."

"I guess after all of your excitement to help me plan our wedding, I just assumed you'd want a big wedding too."

"Sebastian and I have talked about it a lot. None of the New Directions, other than Noah, have kept in contact with me. They don't care one way or the other about me as far as I can tell. If any of them had contacted me, I would think differently. I think Santana and Brittany would come if I paid for plane tickets for them, but on their own, I don't think they'd go to the expense. Noah has his sister to look after and he needs the money too much to skip out on three days work just to drive here for a short ceremony."

Carole looked sad.

"It's what it is. There's nothing I can change about how other people want to treat me. But our wedding is for us. Sebastian's family and mine will have a reception for us once we get to France."

Carole sat and thought for a few minutes. "So, Sebastian's best friend is..."

"His cousin Philipe."

"Right. He came and stayed with you guys this summer."

Kurt nodded.

"And your best friend is Sam."

"Right."

"And the hurt feelings are going to be from Finn," she finally figured it out.

"Exactly. I don't know what to do, honestly. I really have tried with him. I still don't know what he told you I did to him in sophomore year. And I don't want to call him a liar, but whatever you told my dad that Finn had told you really made my dad believe I was some kind of predator and that I had really done something wrong. He sided with Finn because of what you said to him." Kurt was struggling to not cry.

He started again. "I became practically paranoid after that. I checked and double-checked my behavior around guys to the point of just not even trying to interact with guys anymore. Sam and I become friends behind my dad's back. Dad told me to stay away from Sam because of whatever it was that you told him that Finn told you."

"Oh, Kurt. I had no idea."

"I kept thinking that I could somehow fix things between me and Finn. I thought that I had somehow caused it, so I could somehow fix it. But when Sam came to live with us, I saw that it was never going to be true. I thought if I let Finn be close to dad and I didn't fight it happening - and if I didn't try to hog your attention - and if I kept to myself that he might eventually realize that I'm not a predator. But he kept trying to protect Sam from me. He accepted Sam into the family, no issue whatsoever. Sam slept in his room on the fold-up bed until we got the office turned into a bedroom for Sam. Finn had a cow about sharing a room with me, but Sam was okay. I feel like Finn is never going to be okay with me. He's never going to love me like a brother. I've given up hoping that he will. My attempts at educating him did nothing to make him like me. You know he plays Xbox with Sam and texts him frequently? He never texts me. It is what it is. I can't make him like me. I've tried. I've helped him with schoolwork, with girl problems, I've done his chores, I've cooked for him, I've baked for him - nothing worked."

Kurt took a deep breath and continued. "I am not angry with him. I was for a long time. But I'm over that. I have just come to realize that people like who they like and dislike who they dislike and are apathetic about everyone else. Finn is Finn. He has his friends. He doesn't count me as one of them. I have to accept that. That doesn't mean I will be disrespectful or mean. I wasn't like that to him when I was hurt and angry with him. I know he probably claims that we have nothing in common."

Carole nodded.

"Yet, Sam is my best friend not Finn's best friend. I'm sure most people probably think the two of them have a lot more in common."

"Probably."

"How I see it is that Finn sees me as a girl. He equates gay men like me to being a girl in a boy's body. What makes my friendship different with Sam than every other straight guy I've met is that Sam sees me as a guy. That's really all it comes down to. He has absolutely no problem arguing with me, teasing me, tackling me, whacking me with pillows, calling me names, insulting me - all done in friendship, of course - whereas the other straight guys I have known act like they can't do those things with me because I'm gay, which is the equivalent of being a girl. Boys are taught not to hit girls, not to insult girls, not to roughhouse with girls. I know we talked about this a little before about me being considered a girl in Glee."

She nodded. "I get it. I've seen it, but just never thought about the reason behind it to be honest. I've seen Finn and Puck and Sam lay into each other chasing, tackling, and insulting each other like you're talking about. And you're absolutely right that I cannot imagine Finn or Puck doing that to you. I've seen Sam do it. It just never clicked until you just pointed it out."

"It's because I'm a the equivalent of a girl is all I can figure."

"I can see how you came to that conclusion."

"So, I don't know what to do about Finn."

"He and Rachel are talking again."

"What?"

"Yeah, it started back up about a week ago."

"I thought he was over that and that he was getting counseling with Dr. Morris."

"He is. It's a mess."

"Okay. The this is what I am going to ask you. Please don't tell Finn or anyone else that I'm getting married. I am still willing to let him show me that he wants my friendship. I've extended enough olive branches over the last several years. This time it's up to him. I can't go to Ohio for my school breaks anyway. I can't go anywhere. I have to stay here and work. I'm going to France this summer. The wedding isn't for eight months. My hope is that by then he will figure himself out. Either he will or he won't decide that we can be friends. I'm willing, but I'm not going to put forth 100% of the effort with 0% return."

"I understand."

"I'm disturbed to hear that he'd go back to Rachel. Even if the Berrys got her into a good therapist, three months isn't that long. I'll reserve judgment because I haven't talked to her to see any possible changes firsthand. I'll have to rely on you for that once you start seeing her more often."

"We'll see I guess."

"We better grab those drinks or Dad is going to think we abandoned him up there with Sam and Sebastian."

They got up and got in line.

"You really do love him, don't you"

"Yes, absolutely."

"Good."

"Back to the wedding. You and Dad can stay with us again, if you'd like, or you can get a hotel. Philipe will stay with us. Lisette and Reid are going to get hotel rooms. We're thinking late afternoon, followed by a nice dinner somewhere for the eight of us. There's several fancy places around town that we're going to look into. Our plan is to fly to France with Lisette and Philipe that night on an overnight flight. But you guys can still stay at our place that night. Sam will be there."

"Okay. I'll talk to Burt about it. There's plenty of time to work out those kinds of details. Are you going to have it outside somewhere?"

"We've thought about this park we go to a lot. There's an area with a gazebo. We're going to see if they have any openings. With the gazebo, we could still do it, even if it rains."

"Makes sense."

They finally got to the front of the line, ordered their drinks, and went back to sit with Burt, Sam, and Sebastian.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sebastian put his arm around Kurt's waist and pulled him close after he sat down. And then he kissed him. "Football is even more boring to watch when you're gone."

Burt noticed and smiled. "You're not a big football fan, I take it?" he asked Sebastian.

"No one plays football in France. I played lacrosse all through high school. I swam competitively in France. I'm not anti-sports. I'm just not really into football or baseball. Soccer - now there's a fun sport to watch."

Burt laughed at him. "Soccer, huh? To each his own, I suppose."

"Hey now, be nice. Kurt actually taught me the rules of this game this week so I wouldn't be a total dolt when we got here."

"He did, did he?" Burt smiled. "Since when do you know enough about football to teach someone else the rules?"

"Since I was about 10. Just because I made fun of the game didn't mean I didn't know the rules."

Sam and Sebastian could see the flaring "I'm not a girl." attitude peaking out.

Sebastian laughed and grabbed Kurt's hand and interlaced their fingers. "He did a good job explaining it." Sebastian went on to make some insightful remarks about both team's skills or lack thereof.

Burt was surprised. Sam was not.

The game ended with the opposition being defeated soundly much to the raucous applause of the home team. The Homecoming fans were always the loudest of the season.

"I'm going to take you to my favorite place for treats," Kurt told Burt as they were walking back to the Navigator.

Sebastian and Sam smiled. They knew where they were headed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

They pulled into the parking lot of the frozen yogurt shop. Everyone got out and headed in.

"I see. It's a frozen yogurt buffet. Nice. I might even like this stuff," Burt said.

"They'll give you little tiny sample cups to try the flavors so you know which one to pick." Kurt went and got some cups for Carole and Burt.

"This is fun," Carole said as she walked around looking at all of the choices. "Ooh, white chocolate. Peach. Dark chocolate cherry. There are so many that sound good."

Kurt laughed. "I know. This is one of my favorite finds here."

They all sat at a table together and ate. "If we had one of these in Lima, I could have a lot more treats. I need to find someone to convince to open one," Burt laughed. "I'll have to find out there are any of them in DC. "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I'm glad Lisette convinced all of us to spring for this fancy couch," Burt said. "It's really nice and a lot of people can sit on it at once. It's pretty comfortable too. I wasn't sure from seeing the picture of it."

"Yeah, we all really like it," Sam said. "It's fine to sleep on too. I slept on it while Lisette was here," Sam said. "Thad and I both slept on it when he and Nick and Jeff came for Sebastian's birthday. It's great."

"I really like your new artwork," Carole said.

"Thanks. The new school has really good teachers and I've learned a lot."

"Kurt said something about things going well here and to ask you," Burt said.

"Yeah, yeah. I have this resource teacher, Mrs. Dixon, who has been super helpful. She got me an iPad, a computer program, sent me to an optometrist who prescribed these glasses, and vision therapy. I got the glasses like three and a half weeks ago and that's when I started the therapy too. My reading speed has already like almost doubled. I mean it's still slow compared to normal or whatever, but it's way faster for me. And I don't get headaches when I read anymore. The glasses help a lot. They're not regular glasses. The optometrist explained all of it, but I won't bore you with the details. The therapy is to get my eyes to work together properly. It's kind of weird, but I'm doing the exercises every day. I figure what can it hurt? And the computer program seems to be helping. My spelling scores are going up."

"Wow, Sam. That's really exciting," Carole said.

"It is. I am really glad it's all helping. I try to stay focused on the positives rather than get mad that someone didn't do this stuff when I was like eight. I could have made it through school so much more easily. But now's now and it's helping. I'll get my SAT scores next week online. I already signed up to take the test again in November. I hadn't had the glasses very long when I took the test and I had only been doing the eye exercises for not even a week at that point. So, we'll see."

"That's really interesting. I'd like to see the exercises just out of curiosity," Carole said.

"Just in case I didn't say, the vision stuff doesn't have anything to do with me being dyslexic. They don't help everyone with dyslexia and some people that have these vision issues aren't dyslexic. I guess I just got lucky," he said sarcastically.

"Well, you got lucky with the art ability. I can barely draw a stick figure," Carole said.

"Thanks. Sometimes, it's just frustrating knowing that someone could have helped me and didn't."

"I bet no one in Lima even knows about this stuff. But if I hear of moms talking about their kids having trouble, I can tell them about it and maybe someone in Columbus could help or Cincinnati," Carole said.

"That's true. I wish someone would sue the Lima school district and make them force their school staff to be knowledgeable," Kurt said.

"Well, the fact that they're negligent and don't do what they should has to have some way to be challenged," Burt said. "They have to be breaking some type of federal No Child Left Behind laws. I need to get someone to look into it for me."

"Well, as much as I'd like to help you plot the demise of the awful teachers at McKinley, I have to get up at 5:30 to go to work. I will see all of you tomorrow at the big luncheon on campus," Kurt said. He stood up to get ready for bed. Sebastian got up too.

"Good night," Sebastian said as he and Kurt walked out.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

After he showered, Sebastian brought Kurt's lotion out of the bathroom with him. He came out into a dark room, but then he saw the glow of Kurt's phone guiding his way to the bed. Kurt laid the phone down once Sebastian was close.

"Lie in the middle on your stomach. I want to give you a quick massage."

Kurt turned over and pushed his pillow to the side. Sebastian focused mainly on Kurt's shoulders to release the tension. He sang "I Run to You" quietly as he did it. Once the song was done, he got up and let Kurt lie down comfortably on his side. Sebastian put the lotion on the side table and slid up behind Kurt. "It's okay. He's doing better. He'll keep getting better. I can tell he's working at it."

"I know. I kept my cool. I didn't let him have it like I felt like doing. Sometimes, I really feel like making myself a shirt that says 'I am not a girl.' or 'Liking guys doesn't make me a girl'. I think I like the second idea better."

Sebastian laughed. "I dare you to make one that says that and wear it in front of your dad. You should make them and sell them online. I bet they'd be all the rage with the out gay boys."

Kurt rolled his eyes.

"I can hear you rolling your eyes."

Kurt laughed.

"I love hearing you laugh. It's one of the best sounds ever." He wrapped Kurt up in his arms as the little spoon. "Go to sleep, mon ange. I love you."

"I love you too, Bas."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kurt made it to campus in time for the luncheon. He texted Sebastian when he got to the parking lot and Sebastian came to meet him.

He was greeted with a big hug and kiss. "I'm glad you're here. Come on." He grabbed Kurt's hand and took him back to where everyone else was sitting. He scooted his chair closer to Kurt's and grabbed his hand under the table. While they waited for their food, everyone told him about their morning.

"I'm in love with Costco," Carole said and laughed.

"You took them to Costco instead of letting them sleep in?" Kurt asked.

"It's not my fault," Sam said. "She came out when we were double-checking the supplies. We were being quiet."

"It's really not their fault. Sam mentioned that they were going in case we woke up and no one was home before we went to bed last night. I got up on purpose because I wanted to go too. Burt slept in."

"Oh, okay." Kurt said. "It's fun there, isn't it? They have really nice produce."

"I saw. I see why you guys shop there. The prices were good too."

The servers came out with the plates of food. Once they all had been served, they began to eat. The conversation continued while they ate.

"We've bought a lot of stuff there. We don't actually even shop anywhere else for our supplies. It's our one-stop shopping location. Saves time. The only down side for me is that they go when I'm at work, which of course makes the most sense, but then I miss out on all of the samples," Kurt said.

Sam laughed at him. "The samples do rock though. Makes it more fun."

"What did you guys think of the campus tour and seeing the art department and the music and theater department?"

"I'm definitely applying here. The art department is really cool," Sam said.

"I thought everything looked really nice and modern," Carole said. She noticed that Kurt was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. "Where's your jacket?"

"I ran out of the apartment without it, but I didn't realize until I got here."

"Well, I wanted to get your dad a ball cap from the bookstore today. As you can see, I made him leave the one he had on at your apartment. Let's go there next and we'll get you a hoodie too. You don't have a school one already do you?"

"No. I haven't bought anything extra like that. Just things we needed for the apartment."

"Perfect. Sebastian's in his Yale hoodie and Sam's wearing his school jacket and you'll be next," Carole said happily.

Sebastian could see Kurt tensing up. He pulled his hand out from under the table and kissed it and put it back in his lap. Kurt looked at him and let out a deep breath and squeezed his hand.

The speeches from the president of the school and various other people began, but fortunately they were all brief. As soon as they were done, the five of them headed to the bookstore.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kurt found a gray cap with red trim around the brim that just had a large red collegiate-style H on it and suggested it to Burt. "You can wear this one all around Lima and no one will ever know where I am. You'll be supporting me anonymously. It's perfect."

Burt put it on and adjusted it and curved the visor just the way he liked it and looked in the mirror. "It's great."

"Let's find a hoodie," Carole said.

Kurt looked through the racks and found the one for his school. It was black with the school name in red with "music dance theatre" written in white under the school name. "I like this one." He grabbed his size and they went up to the counter and Burt paid for their items. They took the tags off and put them on and wore them out of the store.

"So, what's next on the agenda?" Sam asked.

"The Music, Dance and Theatre Department show starts in an hour," Sebastian said, looking at the printed schedule he pulled out of his pocket.

"Why don't we just head back over to the art school and let Sam look around some more while they have the rooms open and representatives there to talk to. After that, we can head over to watch the show," Kurt suggested.

"I'd like that," Sam said. "Thanks."

"This way," Kurt said as he took Sebastian's hand and started walking toward the art department.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

The five of them were standing around discussing what to do next when Adam sneaked up behind Kurt and melded into the group like he'd been part of it all along. It took Kurt a minute to realize he was standing there.

"Adam!" Kurt said excitedly. "Your play was great. We all really liked it." Pointing, he said, "These are my parents, Burt and Carole."

"Nice to meet the two of you. As you heard, I'm Adam. Adam Crawford." He held out his hand to shake with Burt.

"Nice to meet you too," Carole said. "Your play was really nice."

"Thanks."

"Are we still on for karaoke tonight?" Adam asked.

"Definitely. The only homecoming event tonight is another sporting event. We went to the football game last night, which is enough sporting for me," Kurt laughed.

"You don't like sports?" Adam asked.

"Only if he plays them," Sam responded.

"Ah, I see. Not much of a spectator. I can see that," Adam teased. "Well, I won't keep you. I'll see all of you tonight, then." He turned and walked toward another group of people.

"Well, he's cheerful," Burt said.

"Yeah," Sam laughed. "That's one way of putting it. He's a lot of fun. He comes over for movie nights sometimes and he goes with us every Saturday to the karaoke place. Sometimes some of the other Apples come with him."

"Apples?" Carole asked.

"I'm in a group called the Adam's Apples. It's a completely ridiculous choir that is really fun. Adam's the leader."

"Sounds fun," she said.

"I'll show you the video I took of the day he first cornered me to get me to try to get me to join." Kurt stood between Burt and Carole and played the "Baby Got Back" video. They both looked at it like the totally didn't get why Kurt was laughing. "Oh, I should have explained. That song is originally a fast rap song. The group rearranged it to be slow ballad, like it was a meaningful piece of music with amazing lyrics, when all it is a black man rapping about how he likes girls with big butts." "I see," Carole said. "So, he likes to poke fun and do humorous renditions of songs."

"Exactly. Imagine a song like one of Mellancamp's songs rearranged so it sounds like an opera aria."

"That would be really weird," Burt said.

"Exactly. The group's whole purpose is to have fun with music. School here is hard. Really hard. And we get corrected a lot. That's the point of learning to do something well - correcting your mistakes. But sometimes, we have to remind ourselves how much we love music."

"I get it," Carole said. "I'm glad you're having some fun too. You all work so hard."

"Is there anything anyone else wants to see before we head home?" Kurt asked.

"Nope. Can't think of anything," Burt said.

"Alright then, I'll see you guys at home," Kurt said. He kept hold of Sebastian's hand. "I'm kidnapping him to ride with me."

Burt laughed and they took off in separate directions because they had parked in different lots.

After they were out of earshot, Kurt said, "I want to go back to the bookstore and grab the sweatpants that were on sale. I'm going to need some now that it's getting chilly. I can just slip them on over my dance clothes on Mondays and it will be a lot quicker than changing completely twice since I always have to change when I get to work. And if I buy them here, I don't have to go out shopping and waste time driving around town."

"Good plan." Sebastian stopped walking and pulled Kurt off the path toward some tall bushes and moved them between the bushes and the building. He gently pushed Kurt up against the wall and kissed him. After a few seconds, Kurt just sort of melted into him and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck and kissed him passionately. Sebastian pulled back after a few minutes. "You've got this. We've got this. Let's get the sweatpants and head home." Kurt smiled and took his hand and they headed toward the bookstore.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Elliott, Dani and Charlene were there that evening, along with Adam and a few of the Apples. They pushed a few tables together and everyone sat together. Burt and Carole had never been to a karaoke place before. They enjoyed watching all of the people get up and perform.

Sam, Sebastian, and Kurt had taken up learning Lady Antebellum songs on their music nights. The group's three singers had ranges similar to theirs and they didn't have to rearrange their songs, which was what they were looking for. The three of them signed up to sing during the band portion. The band had gotten used to Sam playing the guitar when the three of them sang.

They got up and sang "Our Kind of Love". The crowd always enjoyed it when they sang. And that night, Kurt could hear Burt over them clapping and hooting.

"Now, that's more like it," Burt said when they came back to the table.

Carole said, "You guys sounded great."

Three of the girls from the Apples got up and did an Andrews Sisters song, which was a lot of fun to listen to. Kurt especially loved the tight harmonies.

During the karaoke portion, Kurt got up and sang "King of Anything." On the second chorus, he changed "king" to "queen".

Kurt sat back down. "Burn," Sam said.

Kurt laughed. "Let me guess. You recorded me."

"Don't I always?" Sam laughed.

"I see how this can be very cathartic," Carole laughed.

"Very," Kurt said.

"He did 'Defying Gravity' one night," Sam said. "But usually they sing love songs to each other, separately or as duets."

"That's sweet," Carole said and smiled at the two of them.

Sebastian's name was called. Sam followed him up to the stage. Sebastian sang "Living in the Moment", which was new enough that only the drummer had heard it and played along. Sam sang back up along with playing his guitar. As usual, Kurt recorded them.

Carole watched them sing, but kept an eye on Kurt as well. She could tell that this song meant something special to Sebastian personally by the way Kurt reacted. He was wiping away tears, even though the song was really upbeat and had a positive message. Sebastian didn't even make it back to the table before Kurt had hug attacked him, which made Carole laugh. Kurt kissed him, and then led him back to the table hand in hand.

"This has been fun, but I'm old. Are you kids done singing for the night? I'm ready to hit the hay," Burt said.

"Sure, Dad. We can go."

"It was nice to meet all of you," Carole said as they got up to leave.

"Good night" was heard all around the table.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

When Sebastian came back into their bedroom from his shower, he found Kurt waiting for him by the closet door, with music playing softly and the lamp had a scarf over it, making the room darker than usual.

"Dance with me?"

"Always."

They slow danced for a few songs. Kurt edged them toward the bed and turned the light off. He gently pushed Sebastian toward the bed and catching the hint, Sebastian got in the bed and Kurt followed him, pinning him, but not restraining him. He leaned down and kissed Sebastian.

"I loved your song tonight. I've never heard it before, but it was fantastic." Kurt started kissing down Sebastian's neck to his shoulders. Sebastian shivered. "Should I stop?"

"No, I like it."

Kurt continued kissing him, moving to the other side of his neck and kissing down to his shoulder again.

"Did it mean what I think it meant?"

"Yes."

Kurt kissed him again and then lay down beside him in the bed and held his hand.

"I'm so glad. I love you so much."

"I know. I love you too." Sebastian turned onto his side.

Kurt turned to face him. "Just so you know, in case I never told you, that unlimited supply of kisses you offered can be placed on me anywhere. You don't have to ask."

"Good to know." Sebastian mustered up his courage and sat up and moved until he was straddling Kurt's upper thighs. He started kissing Kurt's chest and arms and neck. Kurt was moaning quietly.

"As much as I'm totally enjoying this, I can't be quiet. And Sam is in the living room, not his room."

Sebastian moved and lay back on his side and kissed Kurt once on the lips and encouraged him to roll over into the little spoon position. He scooted up close behind him.

"What made you able to do it after all this time?"

"Well, I was talking to Dr. Morris about how excited I was about how you had quit trying to pay me back for stuff all the time."

"Umm hmm," Kurt voiced, not quite following, but continuing to listen.

"She asked when I was going to do the same."

Kurt intertwined his fingers with Sebastian's.

"That's when I realized that, although the presentations of the underlying issue were completely different, she was right. I was holding on to the notion that I didn't deserve your unconditional love because I hadn't been able to or I was refusing to forgive myself for things. Things I had done that affected you. Things that happened to me that weren't directly my fault, but I felt guilty about anyway. I was holding on to those things in way that prevented me from me letting myself be free and accept your unconditional love."

Kurt turned over and faced Sebastian. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For forgiving my favorite person. He needed it."

Sebastian kissed Kurt. "So, I'm your favorite person, hmm?"

"I thought you knew that."

"Sam's your best friend."

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't put him higher on my favorite person list than you. I asked you to marry me, not him."

"Well, that's true. And I was smart enough to say 'yes.'"

"Or crazy enough."

"Sebastian the Sagacious, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Kurt laughed and kissed him.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kurt and Sebastian woke up first and got ready. Kurt pulled his school hoodie on over his t-shirt. He saw Sebastian coming out of the closet with his Yale hoodie on too. They were going to have to turn the heat on sooner than he had hoped if the cold weather kept up.

Kurt woke Sam up and he went in to their bathroom and showered. After he was dressed, he helped with breakfast. The three of them went all out and made all sorts of breakfast foods - biscuits, gravy, eggs, pancakes, turkey sausages, turkey bacon and coffee. When everything was almost ready, Kurt went and knocked on the door to wake his parents up since it was already 9:00 and they hadn't come out yet.

"Knock, knock. It's 9:00 and breakfast is ready. Just come eat in your pajamas, so it doesn't get cold."

Burt and Carole came out of the room tying their robes. They headed for the table and Kurt diverted them to the counter.

"Breakfast is buffet style this morning. Grab a plate and take what you'd like."

"Oh, wow. You three have gone all out."

"Well, we figured we'd end the Thanksgiving-in-October festivities with one last not-on-Burt's-diet meal," Sebastian said.

Burt smiled.

"Lunch will be back to the follow-the-diet rules," Carole added.

After they had all filled their plates, they ate and talked.

"So, you don't get any time off at Christmas?" Carole asked.

"Well, I get Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day off, but the rest of the days I'll be working. I also get Thanksgiving Day itself off, but no other days that week."

Burt pulled out his phone to look at a calendar. "It's too bad you don't get New Years Eve off because if you did, you could leave on Saturday when you get off and go to DC like you did this summer since you're off on New Year's Day."

"You were home for several weeks last Winter Break. Is Congress even in session over New Years? I thought you'd be in Lima that whole time."

"Actually, the session starts on the third. You see what Joe says and I'll see what I can figure out on my end."

"Just a minute." Kurt got up and went in his room to look at the calendar sheets that Sebastian had printed out.

He came back a few minutes later. "Actually, it would be a lot easier for me to trade with someone the week of the 7th. I'm going to take a class online and that will free me up to work other shifts that week. Just let me figure this out and talk to Joe before you make any arrangements."

"That's fine, honey," Carole said. "I'll need to ask off too. So, it will just be a work in progress for a while."

"This was delicious, boys. And I'm very thankful for the rule-breaking Thanksgiving meals," Burt said.

"I agree. It was really good," Carole said graciously.

Burt and Carole got up and went to the bedroom to get ready for the day while the other three cleaned up and packed up leftovers for their lunches for Monday.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

About an hour later, Burt and Carole came out of Sam's room dressed with their jackets on and their suitcases in hand. Burt was wearing the hat he had gotten the day before.

"The hat looks good, Dad," Kurt said.

Burt nodded.

"We hate to have to leave already, but Burt has some things he has to go over before tomorrow once we get back to DC," Carole said.

"I understand. I'm glad you both got to come."

"I'm glad we did too. You did all of the planning for your move here on your own and we're really proud of you, but seeing where you live and where you go to school in person was good for us," Carole said.

"There's only one last place to go and you can follow us there," Kurt said.

Burt hugged Sam.

"Keep up the good work, son. I'm proud of you. Things are looking up for you here. I'm glad you came with Kurt," Burt said.

Carole nodded and hugged him too.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

The four of them pulled up to the shop where Kurt worked. Burt wanted to see it before they left. Kurt went in through the employee entrance and then came around the front to let everyone else inside and locked the door behind them.

"Joe knows I'm here. I told him you wanted to see the place."

Kurt showed Burt around, while Carole and Sebastian stayed in the waiting area. About ten minutes later they were back. Kurt let them back out the front door and exited through the employee area so he could reset the alarms on his way out.

The others were standing outside the cars when he came out.

When Kurt walked up, Burt said, "Well, it's a nice place. I'm glad you're working in a decent place."

"Me too."

"Well, we've gotta head out," Burt said. "We'll see you as soon as we can arrange it."

Burt pulled Kurt into a hug. "Take care of yourself."

"I do, Dad."

Burt hugged Sebastian and said, "Congratulations. I'm happy for you two."

Carole hugged them both as well. Then she got in the car with Burt and they drove off.

"I'm pretty sure I just got the Burt seal of approval," Sebastian said. "Your dad just told me he was happy for us and congratulated me."

"Yep, you did. So, our agenda?"

"I believe you are getting in the car and I am going to surprise you on the way home and then I'm pretty sure that working on ballet and jazz with you was on the agenda."

"Mmm hmm. You just want us to dance around half naked in our bedroom all afternoon."

"I don't see the problem."

"There isn't one. Other than I think we might have to turn the heat on," Kurt laughed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Four days later, Sam sat on the couch anxiously waiting for Kurt to come back in after showering. Sebastian was getting out the stuff they needed to make dinner.

"What are you so antsy about?" Sebastian asked him from the kitchen.

"I can check my SAT scores online today. I'm waiting to do it until Kurt gets out here."

Sebastian smiled and started washing vegetables.

After what seemed like an hour to Sam, but was just ten minutes, Kurt came back out of the bedroom.

"Kurt, come on."

Kurt went and sat next to Sam. Sebastian dried his hands and sat next to Sam on the other side. Sam logged in and navigated to the correct page.

"I got 420 in math and 380 on the English part. That means I got 800 composite," he said really excitedly.

Sebastian knew that those were not good scores, but Sam was really excited and he side hugged him.

"Sam, that's amazing!" Kurt tackle hugged him. "That's fantastic. That's like a 450 point increase over last year."

"I know. I'm so excited. And I've gotten better since I took this. I'm taking it again in a week and a half. This will help Mrs. Dixon know what to help me focus on. Maybe I can get the composite score up to 950. I could maybe get into the art school where you go if I can get it up to 950. On Saturday, they said the average score of students they admit is like 1050. That has to mean that they let in some people with slightly lower scores than 1000."

"What else did you find out?"

"Well, the lady said that the average GPA is like 3.0 to get in, but she said that if I can get a really good letter of recommendation from Mrs. Dixon that explains my academic situation and past issues, that they could disregard the fact that my GPA is too low overall and focus on my portfolio and recommendations."

"That's great," Sebastian said.

"She said that if I'm admitted that I can get a note taker through their disabilities services program. A note taker. Can you believe that?"

"That's really cool. Now you've just got to start narrowing down the choices for your portfolio and get all of your art teachers to write you recommendation letters. Maybe we should find out what Mrs. Dixon's favorite cookie is and bake some for her," Kurt said.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

A week and a half later, Sebastian and Kurt were in bed talking before Kurt had to head to his early morning shift.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do I have to do this? Why did I agree to this?"

"Well, because you're a good son. And you do actually want to do it, on some level."

Sebastian let out a long sigh. "It would be so much better if you could come with me."

"Well, I don't get off until noon, but if things are going that badly, call me and I'll come home, shower, change and head to New Haven."

"Really?"

"Look at me. I will come if you call me and ask me to. You can do this. I have to get out of bed and get to the shop or I'm going to be late. I'm going to eat cereal bars and drink milk on the way to work as it is. I love you. Call me if you need me." He kissed Sebastian, dressed quickly, grabbed food and ran out the door.

Sebastian lay there for while wondering what on earth had possessed him to agree to go to Yale Family Weekend with his dad. Hopefully, there wouldn't be a lot of down time between events because even though they had started texting each other a few times a week, he still had never had more than the one fifteen minute conversation with his dad in person. He knew he was going to end up calling Kurt.

He couldn't manage to fall back asleep, so he gave up and got up and meandered out to the kitchen to eat breakfast. He had almost forgotten that he had to take Sam to the SAT retake that morning. He turned back around and went back and got dressed properly and came back. This time, Sam was on his way into the kitchen as well.

"So, almost ready to go?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah. I have to be there at 7:30. Kurt's picking me up at 12:30."

"Alright, then. Let's go."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

To Kurt: It's family weekend and I need my family. Bring Sam and come, please.

From Kurt: I'll ask him when I pick him up. But I will come, even if he can't come with me. I'll text you when I'm close to campus.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt didn't even make it across the parking lot before he was hugged attacked by Sebastian. Kurt pried him loose and kissed him. "How can it be THAT bad?"

"Do you know how many pitying looks my dad has gotten from his old pals today when I said I was majoring in comparative literature? You'd seriously think I had said I was studying how to be a sanitation engineer the looks on their faces."

"Oh, Bas. How awful. I never even considered how your dad's old friends would react to him letting you choose your own future. But I'm not sure how my being here is going to help that. I'm a music theater major. That's probably even less useful that comparative literature in their minds. Maybe I should just say that I am a master mechanic. At least I'm useful, even if I'm four tiers down the social ladder."

"It doesn't matter. You're here. Thank you."

"Always." Kurt pulled him back into a tight hug. He kissed him and let him go and took hold of his hand. "So, which way to the dragon's lair?"

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"So, 100 cronies later and I'm still a useless comp lit major, but on the upside, it's over."

"Well, in times like these, I resort to retail therapy, even if it's just browsing. But I know you're not as relaxed by it as I am."

"Ah, but we need a blanket and so does Sam. So, it's more like hunting than just wandering. I am much better at hunting than wandering, but if you're with me, the wandering is quite pleasant and I don't mind one bit."

"So, then shall we hunt these blankets?"

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Ooh, flannel sheets. Feel how soft," Kurt said as he ran Sebastian's hand over the sheets.

"Mmm hmm." Sebastian said mindlessly.

Kurt scooted closer and whispered in Sebastian's ear, "You're the one that introduced me to sleeping without my shirt. These would be warmer than our regular sheets. That could persuade me to leave my shirt off even when it's cold."

Sebastian quickly changed his tune. "The sheets are amazing. I obviously didn't look closely enough the first time."

Kurt laughed. "These pale blue ones with the snowflakes on them are a nice color."

"I'll grab them and the pale blue blanket that matches and you grab that navy blanket for Sam. It will match his sheets."

"Done."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Sebastian walked into the apartment carrying the shopping bags.

"Where have you guys been? We're late for karaoke."

"Jump in the car. We'll just eat there, my treat," Sebastian said.

He and Kurt turned around and headed right back out the door.

"What was in the bags?" Sam asked on the ride.

"We bought blankets for the winter. We got you a navy blue one to match your sheets."

"Thanks. It has been getting pretty chilly at night."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"That was fantastic," Adam said as Kurt and three of the girls from the Apples came back and sat down. "You are a hoot," he added speaking to Kurt.

"The costumes were great, ladies," Kurt said.

"So, whose idea was it to do 'Lollipop'?" Sebastian asked, still laughing slightly.

"Well, that would be Kurt," one of the girls answered.

"I saw them do the Andrews Sisters song and in high school no one would ever listen to my suggestions about doing the oldies with the great harmonies, and I knew they could do it. They did the tulle skirts though. I suggested tossing the lollipops out like I had seen the Chordettes do in a YouTube video from a TV show they were on. That's where the choreography came from too."

"Well, it was brilliant," Adam said.

Sebastian heard his name called. He stood up to go sing.

"Let me guess. It's a love song for Kurt," Sam said.

"Of course. Why else would I get up there and sing?" he said and winked at Kurt.

Sebastian's performance of "Everything" was really moving and the crowd loved it. Kurt was crying, happy tears, but Sebastian sat down and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "I know they're happy tears. I love you." He wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulder and held him close and kissed him.

Sam was the next one called up from their group. He sang "I Just Haven't Met You Yet", which was a crowd pleaser.

Sebastian and Kurt didn't sing a duet, but Kurt did sing another song. Two of the girls from the Apples stood and went toward the stage with Kurt's name was called. Sebastian looked at him. Kurt whispered in his ear. "It's for you. I love you."

The three of them sang "Breathless" along with the Karaoke machine.

"You are full of surprises tonight," Sebastian said to Kurt when he sat back down.

"Good ones, I hope."

"Definitely."

"I'll be right back." Kurt got up and headed toward the restroom.

Sebastian moved so that he was sitting next to Adam and spoke quietly. "I want to ask you something."

"Sure."

"What's your interest in Kurt? You pursued him so strongly. You come every week, but you rarely sing, even though I know you're a good singer. You help him with his acting class. I'm not worried that you're trying to take him from me because that's not going to happen and I haven't seen any evidence of that. So, I'm not concerned in that aspect. I'm just wondering why you're so interested in him. You're a senior, he's a freshman."

"Ah, well, I'm a man with long-term goals. When I heard him sing the first day of music theater chorale, I knew he was the guy I have been looking for. I'm not leaving at the end of this year. I'm going to stay here for graduate school. Two years from now, I'll be working on my Master's and he's going to be the lead in the musical theater production I'm going to be presenting for my thesis."

"You're pretty positive about that."

"I don't know what else to say to you. He's perfect. He'll be old enough by then and I hope he'll accept the role when it comes time."

"Have you told him this?"

"No. I want his talent to grow on its own. I don't want to make him feel pressured or feel like I won't be his friend if he doesn't want to do it. I'd still want to be his friend even if I knew that he'd say 'no' later. He's a really cool person. I can tell that he's been to hell and back and survived, and smiles about it. And you're right, if he weren't already taken, I'd be interested. But I'm not a home wrecker and he clearly loves you to the moon and back. His eyes light up every time he sees you."

"You're right about him. He chooses to see the good in the world, despite how he's been treated. He's special and amazing."

"And he's yours. And if I were you, I wouldn't let him go either."

"If you ever want to see his love for the British monarchy in its full glory, ask him to show you _Pip, Pip Hooray!_. He needs someone to help him finish it or give him pointers. I think you might be just the person for the job. Are you going back to England for the summer?"

"Yes. I'll leave at the end of the spring term and come back mid-August. Why?"

"He and I will be in Paris from mid-June until mid-August. You could come stay with us for a while if you want, maybe late July or early August."

"Thanks. I'll see what my family is already putting on my agenda for my time there and let you know. Are you French? I would have never guessed since you have an American accent."

"Both of us are half French - our mothers. We both have dual citizenship. I lived in Ohio until I was six. From six to almost 18 I lived in Paris. I spent last year back in Ohio. So, that's how I have an American accent. Kurt always lived in Ohio, but speaks French fluently."

"I see."

Kurt came back and noticed that Sebastian had moved next to Adam. He sat down in Sebastian's lap since there was no open chair nearby. Sebastian automatically wrapped his arms around Kurt's body.

"So, Sebastian says that you could use some of my fabulous British input into finishing a musical you've written," Adam said.

"What? You told him about that? It's not even done," Kurt said embarrassed.

"That's the point. I'm no good at giving you any pointers, but you've got the perfect person to get input from. He knows the technical aspects of music writing and play writing AND he's British. You're not going to find anyone better to get input from around here," Sebastian said encouragingly.

Adam could see that this was Sebastian's way of showing Kurt that he was okay with Adam being a part of their lives.

"Well, alright. The next time you come over, I'll show it to you."

"Sounds splendid," Adam said with a cheerful smile.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sunday morning, Kurt and Sebastian got up early to make breakfast for Reid. Sebastian was really on edge.

"Bas, do you just want to call and cancel? He won't have left New Haven yet. You can call and tell him not to come."

"No, I'm not going to do that. I just feel like such a disappointment. Things had been progressing slowly between us and I finally felt like there was actually some hope and then yesterday I was nothing but a disappointment all day long."

"I don't think he was disappointed in you. I think he would have come up with a reason to leave the whole event and go home. He could have said anything to 'save face' and leave without introducing you to anyone else. He could have just sent you, and later me, away - telling us that he wanted to spend time with his old friends and that he'd just see us today.""You're right, I guess."

A half an hour later, they were putting things in the oven to keep them warm and starting on the pancakes and eggs. Fifteen minutes later, they heard a knock on the door. Kurt and Sebastian went to the door.

"Good morning, boys. It's good to see you both."

"You too, Reid," Kurt said. "Come on in. Breakfast is ready."

Sebastian pulled the food in the oven out and everything was out on the counters. Kurt handed a plate to Reid.

"Please help yourself," Kurt said.

"Wow, this is quite a spread, boys. Definitely better than any restaurant I could have picked. This is really nice."

All three of them filled their plates. Kurt put food on a fourth plate and took it to Sam's room before coming back to sit at the table.

"Don't worry about him hearing anything. He's wearing headphones."

Everyone started eating.

Reid was the first to speak. "I'm really sorry about yesterday Sebastian. I didn't take into consideration how my old frat brothers would take my decision to set you free from the family expectations. I should have realized how uncomfortable it would be for you. I am really sorry."

"Are you disappointed in me?"

"No, Sebastian. Not at all."

"When I followed what my dad wanted, it was fine because I wanted to be a lawyer. I don't honestly know whether my dad actually wanted to study law. He never talked about whether it was what he wanted. But I did actually want to do it. Anyone who has ever spent five minutes around you when books are the topic of conversation knows how much you love books. When you told me that you'd go to Yale, but that you didn't want to study law, I wasn't surprised. But I could tell that you were shocked that I said you could study whatever you wanted."

"I was. I knew that Smythes were lawyers. It was just the way things were. I was supposed to take over the family business someday."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner that you could be whatever you wanted. That's all on me. You were with your mom, but it was still all on me for not telling you. Anyway, yesterday I saw all these men who had been my friends all those years ago bragging about how they were withholding things - their kids' trust funds, their blessing for a relationship, and basically their love - from their children unless their children complied with their demands to study the chosen field. I saw myself in some ways."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I forced you to go to Yale because it meant so much to me and I wanted that experience for you. But you could have had the same type of wonderful college experience anywhere, but I didn't give you that option. I should have. I should have let you go back to France for college if you had wanted to. I let my past experience with a place cloud my decisions. I know it's a little too late now, but if in the future, you want to transfer somewhere else, I will still pay for your undergraduate degree."

Sebastian was speechless for a few minutes. Reid gave him time to process what had been said and didn't rush him. Kurt took Sebastian's hand under the table.

"I want you to know that I am in no way ashamed of your choice of career."

"Thank you, Dad," Sebastian managed to say.

"I actually have a lot of things to tell you. I have kept seeing Dr. Morris all this time. I've worked through a lot of things that I didn't realize were still issues. The first thing I want to tell you is that I sold the estate."

"Why?" Sebastian asked.

"It was never going to be what I had planned for it to be and I needed to let that go. I lived there for twelve years too long already. I've bought a 4-bedroom house closer to Columbus so that I won't be commuting so far every time I go into the office. I'm going to stop working from home. I'm going to actually do my work in my office. I'll probably start out slow and work up to being there all day long."

"Okay."

"I hate to interrupt, but do either of you want anything else because if you don't, I'm going to put the extra food away."

"No, I'm fine."

"Me too."

Kurt got up and put all everything in the fridge. Sebastian stood and indicated for Reid to follow him to the living room. Kurt went and sat down next to Sebastian after he finished in the kitchen.

"I've bought a house that's too large still, I know. The day you left at the end of the school year, I went up to your room to say goodbye to you before the car service was due to arrive and you were gone. I saw that you had emptied everything out of the house and packed it in boxes or had taken it with you. I realized then that you had no intention of ever returning. I went back downstairs and Gloria told me that you had left several hours earlier."

"I'm sorry. I should have come to say something to you before I left. Honestly, at that point in time, I didn't think you cared. You barely said anything to me the whole ten months I spent the weekends at the house. Other than thanking me when I cooked for you, you really didn't talk to me. You called for a car service rather than take me to the airport yourself. I thought you just wanted me gone."

"I know. I'm so sorry. If I could go back in time, I would change so many things. So, so many things."

Sebastian nodded, understanding what it felt like to wish you could change your past actions.

"I'm hoping that some day, you might change your mind and that you and Kurt might come to visit and this way I'll still have room for guests in the new house."

"May I ask a question?" Kurt asked.

"Sure, Kurt," Reid answered.

"What are you doing with all of the furniture in the house?"

"Well, I've set up an estate sale with an agent for next weekend. I've already selected the pieces that will be moved to the new house this coming week on Wednesday. The remaining items will be sold next weekend. May I ask why?"

"Well, my friend Noah has been granted temporary custody of his 12 year old sister, but the social worker is due to complete the final assessment in a few weeks, only Noah hasn't been able to get any furniture for the apartment they're living in. He is working for my dad and training to become a mechanic, but he's only able to pay their bills."

"I see. Did their mom die or something?"

"No, his mom is just not a suitable parent. He has been caring for his sister since he was in elementary school. His dad ran off and his mom - well, she just quit being mother. Once he graduated, he started seeing a social worker and got a pro bono attorney and he got temporary custody."

"That's a hard life."

"It has been. He's done a lot of things he shouldn't have. But he's turned his life around. If you're selling the furniture, he might be able to afford at least some beds for them to sleep on. I'm sure that would help him persuade the social worker that he's doing a decent job with his sister."

"They don't even have beds?" Reid asked.

"No. He won't let me or my dad buy them either. He says we've already done too much for him. But if you sell them cheap, he could buy them himself."

"What if I just give them to him?"

"I don't know. We could try."

"I'll send you the estate photos and you point out what they could use and I'll just have it delivered to their place on Friday afternoon before the estate sale opens."

"That would be amazing. They've been sleeping in sleeping bags for two months."

"Sebastian, I want you to look through the photos as well. I know that you probably don't want any of it, but just in case." Reid took a CD out of his suit jacket pocket and laid it on the coffee table.

"Okay, Dad. I'll look at them. You're taking the family heirlooms with you to the new house though, right?"

"Yes."

Reid continued, "So, the sale of the estate will be used to pay for the new house and the rest will be put into investments and into your trust fund."

Sebastian nodded.

"I'm not sure if you realize that your trust fund will become available to you in June when you two get married. That was always the proviso. It was set up to become yours upon your 25th birthday or whenever you got married, whichever came first."

"Oh, I guess I never knew that."

"We never really talked about that part because you were never going to marry a girl and same sex marriage wasn't a possibility in France or Ohio. I never considered the fact that you'd be moving to Connecticut where they legalized same sex marriages four years ago."

"So, I'll get my trust fund when Kurt and I get married in June?"

"Yes."

Sebastian closed his eyes, deep in thought.

Reid changed the subject again. "Back to what we started talking about. I just want to reiterate that I am not disappointed in you, Sebastian. Not at all. Quite the opposite. I'm so proud of you. You've overcome something that could have destroyed you. You're doing well in school."

Kurt took Sebastian's hand in his and interlaced their fingers.

"I need you to know something else. I was never disappointed that you are gay. That has never bothered me except for the knowledge of how the world would treat you. Sending you back to France with your mother was my solution to that, but in my depression, I failed to make you realize that I sent you away because of how other people would treat you because you were gay, not because I didn't want you because you were gay."

Sebastian couldn't hold the tears back anymore. "Really?"

"Absolutely. I never realized that I had given you the impression that I rejected you because you were gay. You were too young to understand my motivation. Children assume that they are directly responsible for things that are actually not their fault at all. Kids assume they are to blame for their parents' divorces all the time. I just never realized that until I spent time with Dr. Morris."

"I knew Mom still loved you. She always has. It was hard not to think it was my fault somehow. She still loved you. Why else would she go so far away from you unless you disliked me so much that you didn't want me anywhere near you? She told me I was wrong and that you loved me and that you sent us away for my sake, but I was little. I did trust Mom, so I believed her. I always believed her that you loved me. I just thought that you didn't like me. I separated those two things. You took care of me by sending her money and buying me things, so I knew you didn't hate me. But when I would come visit in the summer, you didn't pay attention to me. You ignored me. You hired people to watch me during the day and then just ignored me in the evenings. I didn't understand. I was a little kid. Eventually, like I said, I just came to my own conclusions since you never offered me any real information."

"I know. I know. It's my doing. I'm so sorry. I can never go back and be the dad I should have been. I have enjoyed getting to know you since this summer. I hope we can continue to get to know each other. I promise not to take you to any more events where people will make you feel bad about your life choices and about yourself as a person. Aspiring to be a teacher is nothing to be ashamed of. And you are an amazing person."

Sebastian was crying, but he had his head down propped on his hands with his elbows propped on his knees. Kurt rubbed his hand up and down his back. Reid got up and sat next to Sebastian on the other side and put his hand on Sebastian's back. Kurt moved his hand and put it on Sebastian's thigh instead.

"I'm not expecting you to say anything. I'm going to let Kurt show me around your apartment for a few minutes and give you some time."

Kurt stood and took Reid to Sam's room first and knocked on the door. Sam opened the door.

"Oh, hey Kurt, Mr. Smythe."

"Please call me Reid."

"Yes, sir," Sam said.

"Reid wanted a tour of the apartment and I thought you might like to show him your artwork."

"Sure, come on in. Feel free to look around."

Reid walked around Sam's room looking at the different paintings sitting around the edge of the room. Sam's large sketch pad was up on his easel.

"Do you mind?" Reid asked.

"Um, sure. You can look through it if you want."

Reid looked through it admiring Sam's work. You really need to find a way to market your artwork. A website or something. You're very talented. If you get a website up and running, let me know. I'll be sure to recommend you to anyone I hear of that's looking to buy artwork. Can you do commissioned work?"

"I could. I've only done that once, for Kurt. You can see that painting. It's in his room."

"I'll check it out. Thanks for letting me look at your work."

"No problem."

Reid walked back toward the door and Kurt followed him. Kurt passed him outside the door and led him to his and Sebastian's room.

He pointed out the painting that Sam referred to.

"That's looking out their apartment window in Paris," Reid said.

"Yes. I saw Sebastian stand there many times just looking and enjoying the view when we were there."

"So, you had Sam paint the view."

"Yes."

"He did a really good job."

"He did. And Sebastian enjoys looking at it, which is the important part." Kurt smiled.

Reid looked at the photographs on Sebastian's bookshelf. He was surprised to see that he was in one of them.

"I'm really glad the two of you have each other. He deserves someone who loves him the way you do."

"I agree."

Sebastian had come in the room without either one of them hearing him and he heard what his dad had just said. He walked up behind Kurt and Kurt sensed his presence. He wrapped his arms around Kurt's torso and put his chin on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt put his hands over the top of Sebastian's.

"I showed your dad Sam's painting. He wanted to see something that Sam had done that was commissioned."

"He's really good," Sebastian said.

"I agree," Reid said. "He really needs a website if he wants to sell his work. He's definitely good enough." He turned to walk toward the door and went back into the living room.

Kurt turned in Sebastian's arms and kissed him gently. "I'm here. Whatever you need. I'm here."

Sebastian let go of Kurt's waist, but took his hand and they walked back out to the living room together. Reid was sitting on the sofa. Sebastian and Kurt sat back down as well.

"The paintings in here are nice too." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm not expecting you to say anything, Sebastian. I know I've said a lot of things this morning. You can have all the time you need to think about it."

"Thanks, Dad."

"I'm going to head out because I have to be at the airport in about 45 minutes and I have to return the rental car still. Thanks for the wonderful breakfast. You two are very good cooks," he said as he stood to leave.

Kurt and Sebastian stood up as well to walk him to the door.

Kurt opened the door for him. Reid did something completely unexpected and hugged Kurt. "Thank you."

He stepped over and hugged Sebastian. "I love you, son. I'm proud of you." He let him go and walked out the door.

Kurt managed to pull himself together enough to think to shut the door.

Sebastian fell into Kurt's arms sobbing. Kurt held him for a few minutes, and then got him to move into their bedroom. He shut their bedroom door and led Sebastian to the bed. He knelt down and removed Sebastian's shoes and his own. Sebastian just sat there. Kurt lay down on the bed and called to Sebastian. Sebastian lay down as the little spoon and Kurt enveloped him as much as he could, holding him tight.


	28. Chapter 28

A few days later, Kurt came home from work to find a large envelope addressed to him on his desk. On the back of the envelope, it said, "Don't open this until you call me." Sebastian wasn't home yet, so he decided to wait until he came home. He jumped in the shower and redressed. When he got out, he could hear that Sebastian was home. Kurt took the envelope out to the living room and sat on the sofa next to Sebastian, who was talking to Sam.

"This was on my desk, but it says to call your mom before I open it." Kurt dialed Lisette's number.

"Hi Lisette. Yes, the envelope arrived." Kurt turned the speaker on and laid the phone down. He opened the envelope carefully.

"What is it?" Sam asked. It was written in French.

"Oh, my God!" He looked at the second set of papers in the envelope. "It's done. Wow."

"What's done?" Sam asked.

Sebastian was looking at the French paperwork. "Kurt's trademark was approved in France and here. If he decides to market any of his brooches, other jewelry or clothing, he has a brand name now that's his legally."

"That's so cool," Sam said.

"It is," Lisette said. "So, now the question comes down to how you want your caption. Do you want me to just leave it with your name or put the brand name along with your name?"

"How long do I have to decide?"

"It would be best if I knew when I go into work in the morning. That's in about eight hours. I know that's not long to think about it, but we go to print in a couple of days."

"Okay. I honestly hadn't even given this any thought. I signed all those papers all those months ago and then just got busy. I'll text you with my decision before I go to bed tonight."

"That's fine, sweetie. Congratulations."

"Thank you. I'll call Mamie and thank her tomorrow. I'll call Reid tonight. I'll let you get some sleep. Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome, honey. Good night."

"I have a brand." Kurt repeated. "I have my own brand."

"That's super cool, Kurt," Sam said. "I didn't even know you had applied for a trademark."

"It was just a spur of the moment idea. The only reason anything even happened with it is because Mamie and Reid are lawyers and Lisette got them to work on it. They didn't keep me updated on the progress or anything, so I honestly didn't even think about it anymore. So many other things have happened since then. They started the process back at the very beginning of June."

"Well, it's really cool."

"I have another phone call to make and I need to think. And I have homework. How about I bow out on the dinner making tonight?"

"That's fine," Sam said and got up to go to the kitchen.

Sebastian followed Kurt back to their room. Kurt put the papers in his mini safe in the closet. Sebastian shut the closet door behind them. Sebastian waited until Kurt put the papers away, and then he pulled Kurt into a hug. "Congratulations." Sebastian kissed him and hugged him again before going back to help Sam.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt went out to the kitchen to eat dinner with Sam and Sebastian.

"I'm going to go ahead and put the brand name in the magazine. I don't honestly know which is better, but since Reid and Mamie went to all that trouble, they must think there's a good reason to do it and they know a lot more than I do about a lot of things."

"Sounds reasonable," Sam said.

"I already texted Lisette and I called Reid to thank him. I'll call Mamie in between classes tomorrow morning."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt was running his fingers through Sebastian's hair like he did frequently in the position they were in.

"I'm feeling very spiteful tonight."

"What do you mean?" Sebastian tipped his head up and kissed Kurt. "You're very rarely spiteful. Did someone do something to you?"

"Not recently. Not for a long time actually. It's really exciting to have my brooch in the magazine, but it also brings back some memories of how many times I was put down about making stuff like that. I'm feeling spiteful because despite the fact that would make absolutely no difference, I would love to rub it in those neanderthals' faces that my brooches were cool enough to end up in a magazine and that people actually want to buy them. They wouldn't care and they would just insult the magazine it's in."

"I get it. With people like that you can't win, even if you're successful. Just remember, their goal was to make themselves feel better by tearing you down. It gave them power. They no longer have that power. You're a success. You've accomplished so many things already. The question is how do you feel about it?"

"I'm still sort of in that daydream state about it. Getting the trademark papers was tangible, but not quite enough I guess. When I have a print copy of the magazine and see my brooch and name in there, then it will be real. I'll let you know how I feel about it after that."

"Fair enough. Just so you know, in case you've forgotten, I think you're amazing." He kissed Kurt again. "Let's get some sleep." Kurt turned over. Sebastian wrapped his arm around him. Kurt scooted back, got comfortable and fell sleep.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

To Kurt: Be home at 1:30 on Friday is all you said to warn me? You're a shit. OMG. You rock.

From Kurt: Make up your mind.

"Oh, my God, Kurt." Noah was crying. "This is amazing. Annie is going to be so psyched when she gets home and finds a bed, a desk and a dresser in her room with sheets and everything."

"The long low dresser is supposed to be for your TV in the living room. I figured you could use the extra storage space rather than just putting your TV on a table."

"Oh, got it. I did wonder why there were three dressers. The two tall ones are for the bedrooms. I got it."

"Hey, I've got class in ten minutes and you've got furniture to arrange and beds to make before Annie gets home from school. Have fun!"

"Hey, it'll be the first time I can say that I had fun making a bed. You have no idea how excited I am to NOT sleep on the floor tonight."

"Call me later if you want Noah, but I have to go to class. Send me pictures."

"Will do."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"So, how does it feel to be a vision therapy graduate?" Kurt asked Sam at dinner that evening.

Sam stood and pretended like he had been handed an Oscar. "I'd like to thank my friends for supporting me during this journey to better vision and improved reading." He bowed deeply and sat back down at his place at the table.

"You're such a goof. I'm just glad it helped."

"Me too," Sebastian said. "So, we chose Monday for movie night. We need to add some snacks or something to the shopping list for tomorrow morning. Are we inviting anyone besides Adam?"

"Not this time because SOMEONE told him about _Pip, Pip Hooray!_ Saturday before last and he wants to see it. So, it will just be him this time. Maybe next time we'll ask Elliott, Dani and Charlene too."

"Well, then maybe we don't really need much extra if it's just going to be Adam," Sam said.

"The list is over on the counter, if you want to add anything to it for us to get tomorrow when we go shopping," Sebastian said. "And I'm not one bit sorry that I told Adam about your musical. I think maybe he can help you get it back on track for you to finish it. I think it's really funny, but perhaps that's because I'm European. You said other people you showed it to didn't find it funny. I think Adam will be a good sounding board. If he thinks it's funny, then you've just been showing it to the wrong audience."

"Well, we'll find out Monday."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

From Kurt: Your place looks great.

To Kurt: Thanks. That's high praise coming from you.

From Kurt: I'm not nearly the snob that people seem to think I am.

To Kurt: Yeah I figured that out already. Too bad I didn't figure it out sooner.

From Kurt: Better late than never, I suppose.

To Kurt: Annie says to tell you that you are her second favorite person.

From Kurt: Tell her I'm glad she likes the furniture.

To Kurt: I want to send Sebastian's dad a thank you letter or something.

From Kurt: I'll see what I can come up with. I don't have his new address yet.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"That table and chairs from the pool room look good in their kitchen," Kurt said.

"Yeah, anything bigger wouldn't have fit," Sebastian agreed.

"That's why I went with only sending a few things. Their apartment is really small. I thought the dresser for the TV would give him some place to put towels and stuff since there's only two small closets in the bedrooms and an even smaller coat closet."

"So, let me see the rest of the pictures. A bed, a desk, a tall dresser in his sister's room. A bed and dresser in his room. The couch from the library. Good choice. Comfortable, but not overly large. I've read more than one book on that couch. And the long dresser from one of the guest rooms. Looks great. You're right though. The place is tiny. If you had picked any other couch, it might not have fit."

"I know. The one in the TV room was so fluffy and comfy, but it was huge. Way too big for their place."

"Well, you did good. They have places to eat, sleep, put their clothes, watch TV and his sister has a place to do her schoolwork."

Kurt put the phone back on the side table. "Snuggle time?"

"Definitely."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The movie choice was up to Kurt the following Monday. He chose one of his favorite documentaries about the British royal family.

"This is how you amuse yourself?" Adam asked. "This is the type of film I was forced to watch in history class at school when our regular teacher called out sick."

Sam tried to restrain himself from laughing out loud.

Kurt picked up one of the throw pillows and hit Adam with it.

"What? It's true. We'd look forward to a nice rest during the film."

"Well, you'll have to pay attention this time or you won't know enough to help me with my musical."

"As you wish," Adam said in his best Westley voice.

Sebastian and Sam burst out laughing.

"Fine. We'll watch _Princess Bride_ , if you want. Although I know Sebastian likes the historical documentaries. He never complains." He leaned over and kissed Sebastian.

"That's because he's a smart man," Sam said. "If someone snuggled me, massaged my hands, and ran their hands through my hair during the documentary, it would be a lot more fun to watch," Sam laughed.

Kurt threw a different pillow at Sam. "Ooh, perfect." He put it behind his head and leaned back against the wall.

"Sam Evans, you're lucky I love you so much," Kurt threatened teasingly.

"Oh, I know how lucky I am," he laughed and blew Kurt a big smoochy kiss.

"How about I just show you _Pip, Pip Hooray!_ , Adam? And you can just tell me it's terrible and we'll watch _Princess Bride_ instead. I'll even go make cookies while you read it."

"If I read it, can I have cookies too?" Sam asked.

"You've read it before."

"Doesn't change my question."

"Yes, you can have cookies, Sam. When have I ever denied you cookies, you goof."

"What about me?" Sebastian fake whined. "I want cookies too," trying to sound like a 6-year old.

"Everyone gets cookies, you bunch of whiners."

"I wasn't whining," Adam said like an argumentative child.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I'm going to the kitchen. Sebastian can get the play from our room. There are two copies. You'll have to share somehow."

An hour later, several glasses of milk and two dozen cookies had been consumed.

"This is fantastic," Adam said.

"You actually like it?" Kurt asked.

"It's quite funny. But you need the songs set to music."

"I know. I didn't get the songs done yet. I know how the melodies go, but I don't know how to orchestrate them or anything."

"That can be arranged," Adam said.

"Very punny," Sam said as he rolled his eyes and laughed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian went around to the opposite side of the bed and climbed in entrapping Kurt while delivering an avalanche of kisses everywhere Sebastian could reach easily, his neck, his upper chest, his shoulders, eventually his lips.

Kurt was breathless when he asked, "What was that for? I definitely want to make sure I do it again," he laughed.

Sebastian moved over to the middle of the bed and lay down on his side. Kurt rolled on his side to face Sebastian, who started running his fingers up and down Kurt's arm.

"Five months ago, you chose me."

"That was a great day." Kurt reached up and caressed Sebastian's cheek. "I love you."

"I love you. You don't actually think that you can do things to be 'more worthy' do you? I thought we were past that."

"We are. I shouldn't have joked that way. I know that you love me, good days or bad days. And I don't have to do something to earn kisses."

"Okay. Just checking. I never want you to feel like that."

"I don't. Ever. Really."

"Okay."

"You know the same is true for you, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good because if I spent as much time kissing you as I'd like, I'd flunk out of school."

"You and me both."

"Ooh. I figured out what I want for Christmas," Kurt said.

"What?"

"You."

"You already have me."

"But I'll have three and a half days off in a row and we'll have the apartment to ourselves. I want to have easy to grab meals for those three days and then we can spend all of the rest of the time in bed snuggling and kissing."

"Hmm...that can be arranged. I can cook and prep while you're at work the week before."

"Perfect. Now, you just have to think of what you want. You don't have to tell me now. You can think about it. For now, let's just get back to the kissing."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The next Tuesday, Kurt came home to find Sam sitting on the sofa looking antsy like he did back in October when he got his SAT results the first time. Kurt walked over to the living room.

"I can just stand behind you while you load the results if you don't want to wait for me to go shower.

"No. I can wait ten more minutes. Just hurry."

"I'll hurry," Kurt said as he was already going through the bedroom door. He came back out less than ten minutes later wearing his pajamas. "Okay, I'm back." He called for Sebastian to come in from the kitchen.

"Okay." Sam took a deep breath and logged in and navigated to the scores page. "520 math, 480 English."

"That's 1000," Sebastian said excitedly. This time around he knew what that meant to Sam.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God! I got 1000! I feel like I'm hallucinating. This is a dream."

"Nope, no dream," Kurt said. He took Sam's phone and straddled his lap. "See, this would never be part of your dreams," he teased. He gave Sam a bear hug, knocking him back a bit in surprise. "You did it. You really did it."

Sebastian wrapped his arms around both of them. He knew that this was what Kurt had wanted for Sam all along - a chance to get to study art in college. The rest would depend on his portfolio and recommendations, but this gave him a chance he didn't have before.

"Okay. I'm going to go get dressed and we're going out for Chinese, my treat. I'm so excited," Kurt said. Kurt got up off of Sam's lap. "Call Dad and Carole and tell them. They'll be really excited too."

By the time Kurt came back, Sam had hung up from talking to them. He was just sitting on the sofa crying. Kurt sat down next to him and pulled him close and held him and let him cry it out. "Better?"

"Yeah. I'm going to change out of my school clothes. I'll be right back."

Sebastian put what he had gotten out earlier back in the fridge. "We'll make the lunches later," he said.

"Ready!" Sam called as he came running back out of his room.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"That was really good. I love this place," Sam said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. It was a well-earned treat. You've worked really hard this semester."

"You could stop and get donuts on the way to school tomorrow morning for the resource room. Or we could go get a grocery store cake right now and you can take it in with you in the morning," Sebastian suggested.

"I say the cake. I don't even know where there is a donut shop and I don't want to get lost or stuck in a huge line and be late to school."

"Fair enough. Let's just stop at the first grocery store we see and go in and buy a cake, or now that I think about it, let's just go home and make a cake. I don't have to get up in the morning," Kurt said.

"You win. Homemade cake will taste better," Sam said.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

For Thanksgiving dinner two days later, they opted to roast a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey. They invited Adam over for the afternoon. Sam and Kurt made all the traditional Thanksgiving items and Sebastian added a French flair to the meal by making additional side dishes that he liked. He also sliced up French bread from the sandwich shop and served it with the French cheese he had found locally.

Adam had told them that he liked food in general and had no specific requests. Since he'd never been to a traditional American Thanksgiving meal, he was looking forward to trying new things.

When Adam arrived, he had gifts with him. He handed a package to Kurt and a couple of what appeared to be wine bottles to Sebastian, who looked at them with distrust until he realized that they both said "sparkling cider".

Sebastian thanked him for the cider and put it in the fridge to keep it chilled.

"What's the gift for?" Kurt asked.

"It's my thank you to you for joining the Apples."

Kurt went to the living room and sat down to open it. He laughed. "Thank you. I saw other people in the group wearing them from time to time. I just figured they were from last year and never thought to ask if I could get one."

"Well, now you have your very own Adam's Apple hoodie to wear around."

"Thank you."

Sebastian called them over to the kitchen to start to serve themselves. Adam enjoyed trying all of the traditional foods that Kurt and Sam had made and was familiar with most of the things that Sebastian had added.

"I need to know where to get the good cheese," Adam stated.

Sebastian laughed. "See I told you that American cheese wasn't real cheese. Even Brits know better."

"Hey!" Adam said in mock offense.

They all left the table stuffed. Adam and Sam moved on to the living room to look through their games and choose one to start with while Sebastian and Kurt quickly packed up the leftovers.

After the meal the four of them played card games. Adam found out about Kurt's competitive streak and his penchant for card games.

"Does he have x-ray vision? Or telepathy so he can tell what our cards are?" Adam asked.

"This is a mystery no one has solved. Even if we buy a new card game, within a few rounds, he's mastered the game and starts beating everyone consistently. It really just comes down to who comes in second because he almost always wins," Sam said.

"You'll get used to losing, eventually," Sebastian teased. "Like Sam said, he and I really compete for second place at this point."

After about an hour, Kurt said, "How about a movie? Or we could sing."

"Or we could sing and watch a movie. How about _Grease_?" Sam suggested. Everyone nodded. He got up and put it in while Kurt picked up the card games and put them in the basket in the sideboard.

After the movie, Sam cackled and said, "Finn told me about the catsuit."

"Oh, God," Kurt laughed.

Adam looked at Sebastian, who just shrugged his shoulders.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Do you like living on campus?" Sam asked Adam on the drive back to campus.

"Most of the time. It's simple. I know the three of you enjoy cooking and I do miss it sometimes, but having meals ready when I walk into the cafeteria saves time and I'm a really social person, so I like eating with a lot of other people and talking during meals. I think that I'd only like living off-campus if I had close friends to live with like you do."

"That makes sense. I'm sending in applications to different schools around here and I've been thinking about what it would be like to live on campus. That's why I asked."

"I think it's really good the first year or two because you really get to meet a lot more people that way."

"I can see that."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You love Kurt. I can see it from a mile away. You've known him longer. Why is he with Sebastian and not you, not that I don't like Sebastian. I'm just curious."

"I do love him, but not in that way. He's like proof that there's good in the world. He's the most amazing person I've ever met. I'm straight, but I can tell you honestly that there were times when I wished I was into guys. His last boyfriend was a tool and it killed me inside to see his heart torn out like that. But Sebastian's not like that. Kurt's not perfect. No one is, but he's a really good guy. I've wondered why you pursued him. At first, I was really concerned that you were going to like try to seduce him away from Sebastian. I don't actually even know if you're into guys, but you kept asking him to join your choir and then you started coming to karaoke just to watch him. It seemed like you were interested in him, but I never saw you flirt with him or anything."

"Yes, I'm gay. But to answer your question, which Sebastian asked me ages ago, I'm definitely not trying to steal him from Sebastian. I'm not a home wrecker. He's just this light and he's super talented."

"Where we came from most everyone was interested in extinguishing his 'light' as you call it. He doesn't talk about the past for a reason."

"I figured. I would never ask him. But it was that bad?"

"Yeah. It's not his family, so never think that. His family is super cool. I lived with them for eight months before I moved here with Kurt."

"So you've been friends for..."

"A little over two years."

"And Sebastian?"

"Well, they met a little over a year ago, but they didn't really become friends until ..." Sam was counting. "Seven months ago. They started dating about five months ago. Five and half."

"I hope I didn't offend you with my first question. I've just never seen a straight guy be so affectionate with other guys like you are with Kurt and even with Sebastian."

"Kurt used to say that to me all the time. My claim to fame is that I'm the only straight guy who's ever treated Kurt like he's a guy. I don't see the world the way other people do, I guess. People are people. I'm not afraid that you or Kurt or Sebastian have some sort of 'gay cooties' or something stupid like that. I don't treat women like they're some alien creatures either. I guess I just don't buy into the stereotypes and rules that society has about things. I mean, if I meet a girl I like that likes to box and hates flowers, I'll never buy her flowers and I'll take her to boxing matches. But if she likes flowers, I'll get her some. I mean people like what they like and I guess I just find the delineation of likes and dislikes into things that girls like vs things that guys like to be pretty dumb."

"You're a wise man, Sam," Adam laughed. "And you'll make some girl very happy someday."

"Well, I can hope. I've not had much luck in love so far."

"Some couples meet young, like Kurt and Sebastian. They seem very well suited for each other. My parents have been together for 25 years and didn't even meet until they were close to 30."

"Yeah. Kurt's parents are happy and they only met like a little over two and a half years ago. They got married not too long after I moved to Ohio - which is when I met Kurt. My parents met in high school and got married as soon as they graduated."

"Are they still around? You mentioned that you had been living with Kurt's family."

"Yeah, they live in Kentucky. I have a little brother and sister too. Stevie is nine and Stacey is seven."

"I have one older sister. She lives in England, not all that far from where my parents live."

"Kurt and Sebastian are both only children. But Kurt did acquire a stepbrother our age when his dad married Carole."

"I've never heard him talk about him."

"There are reasons for that." Sam looked at his phone to check the time. "I better get back. They're probably making dinner and wondering where I am. We always cook together."

"I'll see all of you on Saturday," Adam said as he got out of the Navigator.

"See ya."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Dad and Carole called while you were gone and wished us a Happy Thanksgiving."

"I hope they're having a good day too," Sam replied.

"I don't think so, but Carole was putting up a good front. She sent Finn to her Aunt Somebody's, whose name I didn't catch, to stay for a while. No cell phone, no internet. On a farm in north central Ohio. He's still seeing Dr. Morris."

"Why did she send him to Aunt Whoever's?" Sebastian asked.

"He asked to go anywhere for a while. He said he needed time to think where no one could bother him, meaning Rachel."

"Well, that might be a good thing," Sam said.

"She said that Rachel actually seems to be better. She's been taking dance lessons and voice lessons in Columbus. I guess she's been doing a few things Madame Tibideaux suggested. I don't know whether she'll re-audition for NYADA or not. From what we saw that day Sam and I went there, I don't think it will be a good fit for her unless she's grown really thick skin in the past few months. She can't stand being corrected, especially publicly like that class we saw."

"Carole mentioned that Finn is back to considering joining the military," Sebastian added. "I don't know a whole lot about this whole situation, but he seems like he doesn't know how to live without someone telling him what to do."

"That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Finn has always been a people pleaser. Back when Kurt was being bullied heavily, he actually told Rachel that he could help him more by staying at the top of the heap at McKinley than he could by actually defending him from Karofsky. His popularity has always been very important to him."

"He joined Glee, but managed to stay at the top because he was Finn. He was the golden boy quarterback, like the family golden retriever that no one can get mad at when he chews up their shoes," Kurt added.

He went on. "When Mr. Schue thought Finn was the father of Quinn's baby, he took him out to lunch. He took them to gynecologist's visits. Once it came out that Noah was the baby's dad - nothing. Finn just has this cluelessness about him that people, including adults, have always found endearing, I guess. Rachel has a strong personality and easily controls him. She wanted a boyfriend and she wanted him. He dated Quinn and Rachel, back and forth and the only thing the two of them have in common is how controlling and bossy they can be."

"I mean Quinn cheated on me with Finn. Finn cheated on Quinn with Rachel before that. And sometime in between going back and forth he slept with Santana. Finn doesn't know what he wants. And that's what it comes down to. Maybe spending time at Aunt Whoever's will help him figure himself out, but only if he keeps going to see that counselor," Sam said.

"Isn't Santana gay?" Sebastian asked confused.

"She is. She just slept with guys for the power she could hold over them. It's a lot easier to be a popular slutty cheerleader than it is to be a lesbian cheerleader. And no, I'm not slut shaming her. She considered it to be a compliment. The more guys she could get the better her rep. She only came out because Finn outed her at school and another student overheard and that student was the niece of my dad's opponent. He used the information in a commercial to try to beat my dad and Sue in the congressional race. But Finn led a 'girl love' week in Glee and sang a slow ballad version of 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' and everything was fine again - back to the adorable golden retriever that no one can stay mad at," Kurt said.

"I missed that. It was before I came back last fall," Sam said.

"No loss on your part," Kurt retorted, clearly agitated by the whole thing. "Blaine and I sang 'Perfect' to her and she called me a gay slur to my face in class. Good times," he said sarcastically.

"Well, she had that whole list of insults ready for me and blasted me with them five minutes after I arrived back at McKinley. Yeah, good times," Sam snarked.

"So, I had to apologize to a person who has treated both of you badly for years because I said one out-of-line thing and I slushied her?"

"Yep, that sounds about right to me," Sam said. "I'm not sure the words 'I'm sorry.' have every come out of her mouth."

"Wow."

"Well, now you get a little better idea why 'I'm thankful I don't go to McKinley anymore.' is near the top of our reasons to give thanks on this auspicious day." Sam said.

"And along with that one comes 'I'm thankful I don't live in Lima anymore,'" Kurt added.

"Here, here!" Sam said in agreement.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Deadlines were coming up for Sam's college applications. He had one last thing he needed to tackle for some of them - the personal essay. He managed to get an outline of what he wanted to say, and then he went to Sebastian for help. They worked on his essay while Kurt was at work the Saturday morning after Thanksgiving. Although Sebastian knew a lot of what Sam included in his essay, seeing all of it written down really affected him. Watching Sam struggle to get on paper what he expressed so easily in spoken words gave him a new respect for how hard Sam had worked to get the SAT score he was so proud of. Sebastian double-checked the essay for spelling mistakes that computers overlook and declared it finished. Sam gave him a big bear hug and thanked him.

Sam had helped Mrs. Dixon with a timeline of his high school career giving her an outline of what he had struggled with and the help (or more like lack thereof) he had gotten. She had the evidence of how he had progressed rapidly at the new school once he had been given the proper supports. He also had gotten a strong recommendation from three of his current art teachers. He was hopeful that it would be enough to get into one of the schools he liked. She helped him with the fine details of what needed to be included in the different applications for the schools. Sam had visited the art school at Kurt's school a few times during the fall getting pointers on his pieces that he was including in his portfolio. He was extra hopeful that he would get into the same school that Kurt went to because he really liked the program there.

The two weeks after Thanksgiving were weeks full of papers, essays, performances, rehearsals and all of the things that get stuffed into the end of a semester. November passed and winter was about to begin and so were final exams the following week.

Sam was fortunate in that he didn't actually have any exams to take - just projects to finish. He had finalized the selections for his portfolios for the different schools he was applying to as well. The high school had photography equipment that he was allowed to use, which helped a lot and he had used it during class to photograph the pieces he had chosen to include for the schools that required digital portfolios.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Three weeks after Thanksgiving, Sam had his final review at the art school at the university that Kurt attended.

Sam waited in the area outside the office where his portfolio was being reviewed. Eventually, his name was called and he went inside.

"Please have a seat."

He sat.

The head of the group spoke. "Mr. Evans, we're very impressed with your letters of recommendation and by the dramatic improvement in you academic scores this year. Your portfolio pieces are very well done."

"Thank you, sir."

"We have chosen to overlook your low GPA due to the abundant evidence that your previous schools did nothing to ameliorate your learning differences to help you achieve your academic potential."

"Thank you."

"We are pleased to offer you early admission and a 50% tuition scholarship for next school year. The official offer and paperwork are in this folder."

Sam reached out to take it from the man.

"Thank you, sir. Really, thank you."

"The information is in the packet on how to officially accept the offer."

"I'll read the information carefully. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

"You're quite welcome, Mr. Evans. We hope that you choose to study with us next fall."

The man stood to shake hands with Sam, who stood up too. Sam shook his hand and left the room.

He went back to school on cloud nine after the review and the offer. He kept watching the clock for school to get out, and then for after-school care program to end so he could go home and tell Kurt and Sebastian.

Sam got home first because he had taken the Navigator to be able to go to his appointment during the day. He changed and waited on the sofa. He turned Netflix on and absentmindedly stared at the episode of Star Trek he had chosen.

Fifteen minutes later, Kurt and Sebastian got home. He turned the TV off and waited for Kurt to come back from the shower.

"Okay, finally you're home. Come sit down." Sebastian and Kurt sat down. "So you know I had my final portfolio review today."

"Yes, of course. That's why Sebastian took me to work and picked me back up. You had the Navigator."

"So, today, I was offered early admission and a 50% tuition scholarship to the art school at Kurt's college."

"Oh, Sam." Kurt leapt up from his seat. "That's amazing! I know that's where you really want to go. A scholarship. I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it." Kurt was practically jumping in place.

"Once they have the portfolios for all of the accepted students, the top 10% will get offered full scholarships. So, there's still a chance I could get that, but I won't find out about that until like April sometime."

Kurt pulled him to stand up so he could hug him properly. "You did it!"

Sebastian hugged him next. "Are you going to tell anyone else?"

"I don't think so, not yet. I think I'm going to wait and see if I get any other offers in the spring. I think this is what I really want, but I really do need to see how much more financial aid I'm offered. I do want to go to this art school, but not bad enough to go into a lot of debt. I'd be willing to accept an offer from a different school if I can avoid taking out loans."

"I understand," Sebastian said. "Still, the half-tuition scholarship is the highest amount the offer during the first round of acceptance. So, that puts you in the group that might get offered more in the spring. It's really cool. I mean early admission and a scholarship offer is really amazing."

"Especially for me, the kid who thought he never had a chance." Sam was crying. "You did this. You gave me this chance." He pulled Kurt into another hug and held him tight.

"You put everything into making the best of being here. You worked hard for this. Congratulations. This is just fantastic. I'm so proud of you."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

The following two weeks were full of tension. It was Kurt and Sebastian's first time experiencing college finals. Sebastian wasn't fazed by the experience because he was accustomed to being tested on material without being told exactly what he needed to know. Kurt, on the other hand, was freaking out a lot more than normal when it came to the exams. He was used to knowing exactly what was going to be covered on exams.

Sam and Sebastian had both known him long enough to expect his reaction and weren't really bothered by his shorter temper and increased OCD tendencies. Sebastian's method of kissing Kurt in random places and random times was the most effective way of diffusing his anxiety that Sam had ever seen. Sam took to threatening to kiss Kurt to calm him down as well, which made Kurt either laugh and evade him or dare him to do it. Several times Sam followed through on the dare, kissing his arm or his knee or something absurd, which would start the evasion and laughter all over again.

The one really exciting thing that happened was that Kurt got his copy of the December issue of _Vogue Paris_ in the mail from Lisette. He showed it to Sebastian and Sam. He took a photo of the page that his brooch was on and sent it to Carole and his dad. He stored his copy of the magazine away carefully.

The three of them made it through the ordeal alive and well. Afterwards, Kurt apologized to both of them for being so out of sorts over the whole thing. Neither of them had been angry with him to start with.

Sam had gotten an airplane ticket in the mail back before Thanksgiving and no one seemed to know where it had come from. Whoever had bought it never revealed themselves. By the end of the last week of school, Sam was packed and ready to go. He had a much shorter school break than Kurt and Sebastian.

The three of them had agreed to celebrate Christmas together when Sam got back. Sebastian and Kurt weren't going anywhere and no one was coming to visit either. Lisette had not managed to find a way to get assigned to anything in New York during December, but she had the possibility of visiting in January.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam had to be at the airport at 6:00am. Kurt had gotten Stacey and Stevie gifts and Sebastian had done the same. Not surprisingly, Sebastian's gifts were books that Sam knew that they wanted. Sam packed them in his suitcase that morning before they left for the airport.

"I'm going to miss you guys."

"We'll miss you too. You'll be back for New Years. Have fun with your family. Tell everyone hello and Merry Christmas from us," Kurt said.

"I will." Sam hugged them both before he walked into the airport.

Kurt and Sebastian got back in the car and moved out of the passenger drop off area.

"Did you buy the ticket?" Kurt asked Sebastian.

"No. I thought you did, honestly."

"I bet Dad and Carole bought it. He's refused the money my dad offered all semester and hasn't bought a single thing that wasn't absolutely necessary for an art project or food. So, I bet they bought the ticket and mailed it. The list of people who know our address is pretty short. Just Nick, Jeff, Thad, and our parents. I guess it could have been any of those people."

"Well, whoever did it will make Sam's family happy because they'll get to see him."

"It definitely will," Kurt agreed.

"So, now we have eight days alone in the apartment and three and a half of those you are off from work. I cooked, I chopped, I baked. Everything's ready to go."

"You never did tell me what you wanted."

"Don't worry. There's still time. I'll tell you later today when we get home after you get off from work. Is there anything you want to add to the shopping list? I'm still going to go to Costco while you're at work like I usually do."

"Maybe just one dessert. Anything that looks really good and decadent that we can eat little bits of all week."

"I will see what I can find." He pulled into the shop parking lot.

Kurt leaned in and grabbed Sebastian's shoulder gently turning him and kissed him. "I love you. I'll see you at noon." He got out of the car and let himself into the building.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"It smells fabulous in here," Kurt said as he got into the car. He sniffed. "You went to the Indian place on the way here."

"Yep. I ordered your favorite. You can eat it and then go shower. I know it's not what you usually do, but it's better warm."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. After your shower, you can see the decadent thing I found at Costco."

"Mmm. Sounds intriguing."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt had only been in the shower for a minute or two when he heard Sebastian's voice.

"Kurt?"

"Yes, Bas?"

"So, I've come to tell you what I want."

"Okay?"

"I want to take you up on your offer."

"Well, come on then."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Ooh. It's cold out here."

"Just run for it. I stuck the heating pad in the bed before I came in the bathroom. The bed should be warm."

"You think of everything." Kurt zipped across the room and slid under the covers as fast as he could. "I'm glad we dried our hair in there. It might freeze out here."

"It's 68 degrees in here. Our hair wouldn't freeze. It just feels so cold because the bathroom got so steamy."

"Mmm hmm. And not just from the hot water," Kurt teased. He kissed Sebastian.

Sebastian turned the heat pad off and put it on the floor. "We won't need that anymore."

"Definitely not with you in the bed."

"You're okay with this, right? You're not just going along with it because I said I wanted to."

"Definitely okay. More than okay," Kurt said. "Although I am pretty tired. The shower was a bit more energy consuming than my usual Saturday shower."

"Big spoon or little spoon?"

"Umm, little spoon, but kisses first." After a few minutes, Kurt turned over on his side facing away from Sebastian.

Sebastian scooted up so there was no space between them. "So, what do you think? Sleeping in just our underwear? Or will you be too cold?"

"Well, it's different because I can feel your legs up against mine, but you're warm. We'll just have to see. We'll try it again tonight and if I wake up cold during the night, then we'll know we'll have to try again when it's warmer or buy an electric blanket," he laughed.

"Now, why didn't I think of that and buy one this morning?"

"You were probably thinking about the shower too much to think about much else. I know I would have been if I had known in advance." Kurt intertwined their fingers and held Sebastian close.

"Mmm hmm." Sebastian didn't say anything else because he wanted Kurt to be able to fall asleep, which didn't take long. He was surprised when he woke up almost two hours later when Kurt turned over to face him and started kissing him on the cheek.

"You fell asleep too. You must have been really tired. You usually just rest while I nap." Kurt stroked Sebastian cheek. "I want to talk for a bit, okay?"

"Of course."

"So, you surprised me earlier. I just want to talk about that, okay?"

"Okay."

"Was that a one time thing, like you just wanted to try it? Or is this our new normal? Or something in between? I just want to know how you feel about it and what it means for us."

"Well, I'm hoping it's not a one time thing. Remember back when you came to my dad's house the first time and you were shocked by all of my books and my bookwormishness?"

"Mmm hmm."

"I made a joke about you being surprised that I owned more books than porn."

"Yes."

"Well, the truth is I didn't own any porn. You've seen all of my books and movies. I didn't hide my stash somewhere and then toss it while I was unpacking my boxes while you were at work."

"Okay."

"For a while, I wondered if something was wrong with me. Guys would talk about their reactions to seeing pretty girls or women, or hot guys if they were gay, and nothing like that happened for me. It wasn't that I was 'broken'. I knew I didn't have ED or something because it worked just fine. I just never had that type of reaction from seeing guys."

"Okay."

"I wasn't sure if Dr. Morris was up for talking about that type of thing, but I needed to talk about what had happened in Paris and other related issues, and it took me quite a while to build up the nerve to ask her. Eventually I brought it up as we talked through my past - that the reaction absolutely happens all the time around you."

Kurt laughed and kissed him. "Good."

"I mean all you have to do is look at me sometimes. I'm not complaining, mind you."

He kissed Kurt. "I was just trying to understand because it had never happened to me like that before."

"Okay."

"She explained to me how some people don't feel that type of attraction toward someone unless they feel an intense emotional connection with the person first. It made so much sense the way she explained it and it completely fit how I am. It was honestly kind of scary how intense the feelings were because I had never felt like that at all. I wanted to make sure there wasn't something wrong with me."

"It's fine for you to tell her whatever you need to, you know that. She's helped you so much. I'm glad she was able to help you understand yourself better."

"So, since she and I had talked about it a while back, I did some reading and a lot of thinking. I think a lot of what was holding me back was just the unease of all of the new feelings, the arousal, the intensity. But what she said and what I read did help me understand why I had zero interest in accepting the offers from any of the guys that would hit on me in Scandals. I'm just not the type to be aroused by that. But you, God, you drive me crazy. My body goes into overdrive. I think sometimes I come across as standoffish or like I don't want to touch you but really I want you so badly that I don't know what to do with the intensity of the feelings, so I would hold back."

"And now?"

"And now, I realize that how I feel is normal. It's fine to feel that way about you. That feeling so turned on by my partner is totally normal."

Kurt kissed him again.

"We had spent weeks talking and getting close to each other last spring, starting in the garden, and then we got really close once you came to Paris, and you had brought up dating that night before my dad called. Later that night, you showed me yourself, and that was the first time it had ever happened. I had seen plenty of guys naked before. I played lacrosse and swam. I had showered in communal showers and had probably seen more than a hundred naked guys over the years. And in all those years, I had never had a physical reaction to seeing any of them. But that night, I had to force myself to stay in the bed. I was so turned on."

"I can see how that would be startling. So, I was standing there terrified that you wouldn't find me attractive at all and you were lying in the bed experiencing attraction that you had never felt before. And we were both surprised."

"I could barely speak and you were asking - if I was attracted to you? I didn't even know I could feel like that."

"So, then, yes, this is where we are now? You're okay with this level of interaction? Here in our space, in our room, which includes the closet and the bathroom. So, for example, I can come out of the bathroom in my birthday suit and get dressed out here?"

"Oh. Um. Am I allowed distract you from putting the clothes on? I might just not want you to."

Kurt laughed. "It's winter and it's cold."

"I'll turn the heat up and cover the cost of the additional electricity," he teased as he ran his hand down Kurt's arm and leaned forward to kiss him.

"I don't think so. I'm not ready to start our own nudist colony in our room. Maybe some day. I don't know though. I think my limit is probably stripped down to my underwear for my waking hours."

"Fair enough. I don't honestly think I could wander around completely naked either." Sebastian laughed.

"As for the rest of what went on, I'm comfortable with that, but I'm not ready to move beyond that yet," Kurt said.

"Me either. I still have other issues that I'm working through."

"I know. It's fine. I've told you before and I meant it. A lot of couples never even do that. I'm not going to love you more if we do or less if we don't. Us being together is about us being comfortable together with what we do. If and when we're seriously considering it, we'll talk again."

"I'm so glad your mine. I love you so much."

"I love you, Bas, so very much. Will you turn over so I can hold you now?"

Sebastian kissed him and then turned over.

"I'm glad you shared with me. I'm honestly glad that we've gone this slow with things. It's given both of us more time to heal and really get to know and trust each other."

Kurt scooted up as close as he could and slipped his arm under Sebastian's and wrapped it around his chest so that his hand was stroking the side of Sebastian's neck.

"I think what you told me is part of who you are and I'm really fine with that. I can't separate my issues between whether they are similar to yours, meaning an internal integral part of me or whether they were beaten into me by an environment that found me and my desires an abomination. Living where everything that would have been attractive to me was forbidden and punishable really suppressed my natural instincts. If I had physically displayed any sort of arousal around a guy, it could have led to me getting beat up. I had to change in the communal locker rooms as well. I feared anything like that happening in front of the other guys. Just like you, it never did happen to me. I have never been into porn either. I just can't watch it. Touching someone is just such an intimate act to me that it doesn't feel right watching other people touch each other. It feels like I'm invading their privacy, despite the fact that I KNOW that they are being paid to do what they're doing or they willingly uploaded videos of themselves. It just doesn't turn me on the way it obviously does most guys."

"So, none of that turns you on either?"

"Nope, not a bit. Even if I knew for absolute certain that the two people were in love, I would still feel like I was invading their privacy and that wouldn't be arousing to me at all."

"Interesting. I don't think I've met anyone else like me. Or if I have, they just played along with the other guys pretended that porn was hot."

"And just so you know, you have the same effect on me that you say that I have on you. And even though I live in a place where I can be myself now, I still don't have that reaction to anyone but you."

"Mmm. Maybe it is part of who you are as well then. The environmental fear may have just been an outside issue." He moved his hand to place it over the top of Kurt's and run his thumb across Kurt's ring.

"Could be. I guess it doesn't really matter now. We have each other."

"That we do."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

A couple of hours later, Kurt asked Sebastian, "Are you hungry?"

"Actually, I am." He climbed out of bed and they both slipped on their Paris hoodies, pajama pants and socks. "I think maybe I should have bought two pairs of the fluffy slippers I saw this morning at Costco."

"I think so. I'm not used to living in a place with no carpet and actual tile floors. Those tiles are COLD. When I go to work later this week, you can go out and find us warm fluffy slippers. Get Sam a pair too. We can give them to him as a Christmas gift when he gets back. I know he said not to get him anything, but slippers hardly count as a gift."

Kurt sat down at the table. "You never did show me the decadent item you bought."

"Oh, yeah." He opened the freezer and took out a box of mini cheesecakes. He put it on the table in front of Kurt.

"Oh, my. This is fantastic. They're like two bites each. It's perfect. There are 32 of them. Four each of eight different types. We can each have two every day while Sam is gone. Which one do you want to try first? You pick."

Sebastian closed his eyes and randomly touched the box. He opened them and read, "Dark chocolate sprinkles with a dark chocolate cookie crust."

"Let's get two of them out and let them defrost while we eat real food."

Sebastian found the right ones and sat them out on the counter and put the box back in the freezer and pulled out the salads he had prepared for their dinner earlier. He put their salads on the table, grabbed forks, poured them water, and sat down with Kurt.

"These salads look great. Thank you for doing all the work for our meals for the next few days. I'm glad were going to get to relax."

After they finished eating, Kurt washed the bowls and put them in the drain to dry. He unwrapped the mini cheesecakes and fed Sebastian his and ate his own.

"Those are actually pretty good. I didn't know what to expect," Sebastian said. "I've never bought frozen cheesecake before."

"Me neither, but I agree. That was pretty good." Kurt kissed Sebastian. "Good find."

"Back to bed?" Sebastian asked.

"Yep." Kurt double-checked that the front door was locked, turn the lights off and followed Sebastian back to the bedroom.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sam's family was waiting for him when he arrived at the airport in Cincinnati. It was a fairly short drive from there back to their house. When he walked in, Christmas filled the air. His mom had baked a pie and the house smelled like the Christmas tree that his brother and sister had decorated with handmade paper ornaments.

"The tree looks great, you two. Good job!" He laid his suitcase on the couch and opened it and pulled out the six gifts that he had brought with him and put them under the tree. "There. Now, there are presents under the tree too."

"Yay! Who's Sebastian?" Stacey asked as she looked at the labels.

"Oh, that's Kurt's boyfriend. He's really cool."

"I didn't like his last boyfriend," Stevie said.

"Me neither," Stacey added.

"Well, you'll like Sebastian. Here, let me show you a picture." He pulled out his phone and pulled up a photo of the three of them.

"He looks nice," Stacey said.

"He is. He's very, very nice. And he loves Kurt very much. They're going to get married this summer."

"Really? Boys can't marry boys here," Stevie said.

"Well, they can where we live."

"That's cool. Kurt looks happy. I miss him."

"I know, Stacey. I'll have to see if I can figure out some way for you to get to see him."

"Since you're here we can use your phone and call him. Maybe on Christmas Day for a surprise. At least we could talk to him," Stacey suggested.

"That's an excellent idea."

"When can we open the presents?" Stacey asked.

"Well, I think you can open Sebastian's presents tonight. And we'll wait to open Kurt's presents until Christmas Eve and you can open mine on Christmas morning. How's that?"

Stevie and Stacey walked over to the tree, sat down and took their presents out from under the tree.

"You first, Stacey. You're the youngest," Stevie said.

"Oh, look it's those books I wanted that Nicole has. The ones about Samantha. It's the whole set. That's so cool. I'm going to read one tonight."

"Go ahead, Stevie. Open yours," Sam encouraged.

Stevie unwrapped his and found the first two _Harry Potter_ books.

"Awesome! I really wanted these. Every time I try to check them out at the library, they're already gone."

Sebastian said to tell both of you that when you finish to let him know and he'll get the next books in the series for you."

"Really?" they said at the same time.

"Yep, really. He's cool like that. And his very favorite thing to do is to read books. He's studying to be a college teacher to teach people about books."

"That's cool," Stacey said.

"I agree," Sam said.

"Well, tell him thank you, okay?" Stacey said.

"Yeah, from me too," Stevie said.

"I'll do that. Let me take your picture and I'll send it with the thank you message."

Sam got down on one knee and they sat together with their books on their laps and smiled for Sam.

"Perfect," he said as he clicked send.


	29. Chapter 29

Christmas Eve morning, Kurt woke up before Sebastian, which was unusual. He lay very still so he wouldn't wake Sebastian up. He closed his eyes and spent the time thinking about how much his life had changed in a single year. How much better his life was now than he could have even imagined. A year ago, he was dealing with so much constant anxiety about whether he would ever get out of Lima. He was on edge all the time. A wide variety of flashbacks passed through his mind as he lay there. His mind finally came back to the present.

Now, he had Sebastian and Sam and his own place and he attended a school where he was valued. No one had bullied him since he left Lima seven months ago. He had learned so much in his first semester and it wasn't all academics. He learned to accept that Sebastian loved him. He didn't love him because of something or in spite of something. He just loved him.

Sebastian started to stir and Kurt scooted back into him to get closer now that he was awake.

"Mmm." Sebastian kissed Kurt's shoulder and squeezed him in a hug as best as he could in the position they were in. "Good morning, mon ange."

"Good morning. This is the best Christmas Eve ever," Kurt declared.

"And why's that?"

"Because I'm being held in the arms of the man that I love."

"Mmm. I love you too."

"I've just been lying here thinking about how different my life is now. It's amazing and wonderful. It's even better than I had imagined."

"Mine too."

"I think I'm as rested as I can get and if we stay in bed all day today, I'll just be restless. I'd like to dance with you. It's one my favorite things to do with you."

"Breakfast first or afterwards?" I have banana muffins already made."

"Mmm, my favorite. You're so sweet to me."

They slipped their hoodies, pajama pants and socks on to go out to the kitchen.

"Do you want coffee?"

"Not yet. I don't want to drink a lot before we go stretch. I'll have some later, maybe, but thank you anyway."

They finished eating and changed into their dance shorts and ballet shoes. Kurt turned on some classical music and they stretched and warmed up. "If we don't generate some body heat soon, I'm going to turn up the heat."

"I think I can handle that," Sebastian said as he stood up and changed the music to one of the dance play lists he had created for them that started with tango music. Rather than change shoes, Kurt let Sebastian take the lead. Dancing shirtless and touching in so many places definitely turned the heat up in the room.

"I'm really glad we went to those lessons last summer. I really love dancing with you," Sebastian said.

"I want to go back again this summer and work on our swing dancing again. That was so much fun. We might be able to practice some when my Winter Term starts since you don't have class the first couple of weeks. I'll check to see if the dance studios are unlocked for student use. Maybe there's a sign-up sheet or open hours or something."

"That would be fun. We just don't have the room to try it in here. We might start knocking pictures off the walls or something."

Sebastian dipped Kurt and pulled him back up. "We're getting good at this."

Kurt smiled and kissed him. "Well, practicing is so enjoyable."

The music changed from Tango songs to waltzes. They adjusted their stances and began waltzing. A few songs later, the music changed again to instrumental soft rock and they switched to slow dancing almost in place, which eventually turned into more kissing than dancing.

"Mmm. I think we've expended enough energy and it's time to shower and go back to bed. How about you? Ready for a shower?" Sebastian asked.

"Oh, you know me. I even shower twice a day sometimes." He winked at Sebastian. He grabbed underwear and went to the bathroom. Sebastian followed right behind him after putting the heating pad back in the bed to warm it up.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"So which class did you end up deciding to take during Winter Term?"

"The writing class. I figured that since I'm just working my regular hours that I should get the intensive writing class in while I have a lot of free time. I think it will be tough to write so much in such a short period, but at the same time, I'll be focused just on writing and not having rehearsals, learning lines and dance pieces."

"Makes sense."

"I'm glad you managed to pull off only having class on Monday/Wednesday/Friday again. That saves a lot of driving and gives you a lot of time to read and write."

"Me too. I get tired of the driving sometimes, but the trade-off of being able to live here with you makes it worth it."

"Mmm. I'm so glad you're here with me."

"We should have Nick, Jeff, and Thad back again soon. I've had a lot of fun the times they've visited."

"Me too. I wonder when their semesters start again. We'll look later. We'll have to pick a song again so we can all sing. Something else that sounds good in six-part harmony."

"I'll start searching when your class starts. It will give me something to do. Ooh, that's something we can do sometime soon. We can go to New Haven and I can pick up my books. Then I can start reading while you're working on your writing. I'll have to look up the bookstore hours."

They spent quite a while talking about the classes they would be taking the next semester.

"I've been wondering and you never did tell me why you wanted to see if we could graduate in three years instead of four."

"Well, in our fields, it's pretty much guaranteed that to get a good job we'll need Master's degrees, maybe even PhDs. I'm still hoping to perform, but I also know that I can't just sit around doing nothing if I never get a part. I'm really not good at doing nothing for very long. I was thinking that if we finished in three years, we could get started on the Master's level work that much sooner."

"Okay. There's more to this though."

"I want to go back to France. I do want to perform, so I'm kind of torn. If we don't get offered scholarships when we apply to graduate schools, I was thinking that we should go back to France and do our Master's work there. I know your dad is paying your tuition, but that's not an unlimited offer. He's not going to just keep paying for you to go to school for 4-5 years after you graduate, at least I didn't think that was the agreement."

"No. He's paying for my Bachelor's degree. You're right."

"You mentioned the cost of attending college in France is minimal. I looked it up after we talked about it that time. Even going to graduate school there is very inexpensive. I don't know what your mom would think, but living with her would be fine with me. We could do either our Master's and PhDs there or just the PhD for you if I don't need one and I could start working while you finish school."

"You don't just have secret x-ray vision you don't want anyone to know about. You know what I'm thinking," Sebastian teased.

"What do you mean?"

"I miss France. I'm fine living here, and I love it because I'm with you, but I still feel like a visitor at lot of the time."

"I can understand that. So, what do you think? If we don't get offered scholarships for Master's work, we go back to France and study there?"

"I think it's a good option to keep open. We need to find the right places in Paris to apply to. We can start researching that too."

Sebastian grabbed his hoodie and put it on and then got his laptop off of his desk. Kurt saw what he was doing and put his hoodie back on too. He piled the pillows in the middle of the bed and sat back, making room for Sebastian to sit in front of him and lean back. Sebastian grabbed Kurt's wood tray from under the bed and climbed into the spot Kurt had made for him and put the laptop on the tray. They cuddled and started looking through school websites in Paris and bookmarking potential options.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"This is the best chicken salad ever," Kurt said as he leaned toward Sebastian and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"It's my favorite too. I like the tiny bit of bite that the serrano peppers give it."

"Me too. And the avocado...mmm."

"I hear your phone ringing."

"Me too. I was thinking of ignoring it, but it's a holiday so I'll go see who it is." Kurt came back with his phone. "It's my parents."

"Hey, Dad."

"Yeah, we're doing fine. Oh, okay. Just give us a few minutes okay?" Kurt hung up.

"He wants us to Skype them."

"Okay. Let's finish this up and you can set it up while I load the dishwasher. Do we need to change?"

"Nah, the hoodies are fine."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"Merry Christmas, you two," Carole said.

Kurt had forgotten that Carole's side of the family actually celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve.

"Merry Christmas," they both said in response.

"Have you found your gift yet?"

"No. Where should I look?"

"In that small dresser in between your desks."

Kurt got up and looked in the drawer and found an envelope standing upright up against the very front of the drawer held in place by his small sewing storage boxes. Kurt took the envelope back out to the living room. He opened it and found a Costco gift card in the amount of $300 with a note.

~-~-~-~-~-~  
Merry Christmas! If you found this before Christmas, you can go ahead and use it or put it back away until Christmas. I didn't feel like it would be a good idea to mail it since gift cards aren't replaceable if lost.

We love you!  
~-~-~-~-~-~

"Thank you," Kurt said after reading the note.

"Yes. Thanks. I think slippers are going to be the first thing the gift card gets used for. Tile floors are very pretty, but they are VERY cold in the winter," Sebastian added.

"I bet," she laughed. "Well, from what I could see when I was there, I'm sure there are slippers somewhere. It seemed like they sold just about everything there. I wasn't sure what either one of you wanted and I figured you could find plenty of things you'd enjoy there."

"You're right. I'm sure we will," Sebastian said.

"Did you two open your presents yet?"

"No, we were waiting until we called, Skyped, whatever," she laughed. "I'll go get them now." Carole walked across the room and came back with two small boxes and handed Burt's to him.

Carole opened hers first. "Oh, it's lovely. You know how much I love hummingbirds."

"All three of us worked on it."

"Well, it's really beautiful. Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it," Sebastian said. "I'm new to the art and crafting worlds, but Kurt and Sam are teaching me."

Burt opened his next. "That's a really neat tie clip. The rainbow heart pattern is very subtle since it's so small, but it still makes a statement. Did you all make it too?"

"Yes, we all worked on it. Joe lets me use scraps like you did and the welding tools. Sam worked on the glazing. We've been teaching Sebastian. He worked on the painting."

"Well, you three did a good job. I'll definitely wear it. It's a lot cooler than my other tie clips."

They spent the next 30 minutes catching up.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"So, Finn called it off completely with Rachel back before he left and he's staying at his Great Aunt Karen's for a while longer," Kurt said.

"So, I guess they never actually got back together? She was just driving him crazy trying to be 'friends' with him. He just wanted out of Lima for a while and so he went to his Great Aunt Karen's farm."

"Seems like it, which is good news in my opinion. I had wondered, but didn't want to ask him. He's pretty much cut off contact with everyone."

"I hope that's a good thing. He's still getting counseling, right?"

"Yes. Carole said he went to some kind of aptitude testing so maybe that will give him some guidance. She said he had put in applications for some stuff as well."

"I'm going to go check to see if there's any mail in our box and then we can go back and snuggle some more."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt slipped his hoodie off and hung it on the bed frame. He lay down facing the middle of the bed and pulled the covers up over his shoulders. Sebastian did the same.

"We should have stuck that heat pad in the bed while we were Skyping," Kurt laughed as they huddled back under the covers and snuggled up tight.

"We'll warm up soon. Scoot closer."

"I don't think I can get any closer," Kurt teased, but scooted forward, or tried to.

"It's all because I was silly enough to think I wouldn't freeze to death running down to the corner to get the mail after we finished talking to them. Next time, I'm dressing like there's a blizzard out there before I step outside."

Kurt rubbed his hand up and down Sebastian's arm trying to warm him up. Then he slipped his hand and arm under Sebastian's and traced patterns on his chest.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt had placed the gift card and envelope on his side table and now that they were lying in bed quietly, he started to think.

"She's such a sneak. You two took her to Costco that day they were here and she managed to sneak off to buy a gift card. So, that pretty much answers the question of where the plane ticket came from. Sam hasn't accepted any money from them since we got here either. They helped both of us in a way that we can't return or refuse. Such sneakiness."

Sebastian laughed at him. "You know you both make it really easy and really hard for people to do nice things for you. Easy because you both treat everyone so well that people want to do nice things for you. On the other hand, it's hard because people don't want to do things to upset you because you're both so nice. People have to resort to sneakiness to be kind to the two of you."

Kurt sighed.

"The two of you have let me into the inner circle of mutual kindness, which I appreciate, but you're still keeping other people out. I need to know something."

Sebastian took Kurt's hands and pressed them against his own chest and held on to them.

"What?"

"Do you view me as less of a man because I am not paying my half of the expenses and my dad is doing it?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because that has been the agreed upon arrangement your whole life."

"So, why do you feel like less of a man or person if you let your dad help you?"

Kurt paused and considered the question. "That's a valid question. I know it seems like it's a double standard. But I think it's because I got a lot of 'men pull themselves up by their own bootstraps' lessons, both spoken and unspoken growing up."

"And so, it makes you less of a man to accept help from your dad, but it doesn't make me less of a man when I do?"

"I know that seems like a contradiction, but it's not in my mind somehow. Your parents and the people in your life never doubted or challenged your masculinity. You were never considered anything but male. You were never given a female's role. When I let my dad help, it pushes me back into that area of my mind where my feelings of inadequacy are still looming in the shadows. That feeling of, 'if I were man enough, I wouldn't need outside help' floods my mind. I know it's sexist. I can freely admit that I know that the mindset that girls need help and guys are tough enough to do it on their own is sexist. I don't treat girls that way. But I've grown up with everyone around me treating girls that way."

"There's a lot of baggage in this area of your life. It's not just one thing. You've got more layers to work through still. I'm not going to poke at your sore spot. I'm really, really glad that you've let me in - that Sam and I are not locked out."

"You and Sam made it past the defensive walls by never treating me like a girl. Even at that, it took actual effort on my part to let you two in. You know how hard that was for me. You were there watching me fight my instincts to let you close. But you're right. I never really considered how many different issues were tied up into my inability to let people help me. My need for control, feeling unworthy of someone's time and attention, feeling like I'm not a real man if I accept help. I'm a mess."

"It's okay." He pulled Kurt close and wrapped his arms around him. "Identifying what's making your auto-respond like you do - so defensively - will help you figure out how to respond in a way that you choose to, rather than with a pre-programmed response."

"Are you sure you don't want to be a psychologist?"

"I'm sure. I just know what I've learned from working through my own mess of a life. Think about it. When was the last time you saw me order a bottled drink or just not drink anything at a restaurant without a bottled drink option while we were out?"

"It's been a while."

"Refusing to drink anything that I didn't open myself became my automated response. But once I worked through why I reacted that way I did, I was able to overcome the auto-response and order a regular drink like I used to. I won't ever be able to do that in a bar or around people who are drinking. I'll have to see the drink come out of a fountain and handed directly to me or I'll still order something bottled that I open myself. I am certain that I won't be able to suppress the reaction when alcohol is involved. What happened to me was a one-time thing, very horrible, but it happened just once. What causes some of your auto-responses will take time to figure out. You may decide that the response is reasonable in certain situations, but in others you find that you can make a different choice once you deal with the underlying cause of the response."

"So, you mean like I might be able to accept gifts freely at some point, but I may never be able to accept actual help to do things I could do on my own. A sort of middle ground between rejecting everything and accepting help for anything."

"Exactly. So maybe you can somehow adjust your view of the Costco card so that you see it as a Christmas gift - not given to make you feel bad about not being able to get your own Costco gift card - but just given to you as a regular Christmas gift because Carole thought about what she could get you and since she no longer lives with you, she didn't really know. So, she bought you something she knew you could use. I honestly figured you'd end up with a frozen yogurt gift card. It's not like they were here that long to figure out something that would make a suitable gift."

"You're right."

"I know what's going on in that mind of yours though. You're thinking that they just used the money they had offered to give you and Sam and bought you things that you couldn't give back as a way to control the situation and force you to accept their help."

"Bingo."

"Did your dad and Carole buy you Christmas gifts last year?"

"Yes."

"Do you think they spent $300 on you?"

"Maybe. I didn't calculate the cost. Let me think about it. I got the new Kindle Fire tablet that I use all the time and an Amazon Prime membership and an Amazon card to buy books with. And I got a pair of gloves that Carole saw me looking at one day at the mall, but I didn't buy for myself."

"All of that sounds like it would come to $200-300 to me. So, this Christmas is no different than last Christmas. She bought you things she thought you'd use last year and she bought you something she thinks you'll use this year."

"You're right. But last year was sort of a make-up year, I thought. The year before everyone knew we weren't getting much because they had just gotten married and bought the new house. So, I guess I considered last Christmas sort of the combination of two Christmases."

"I can understand that. What did they do for Sam last year?"

"They bought him a gas card to drive to visit his family and a Walmart gift card so he could go shopping for his brother and sister for Christmas because his parents didn't have the money to get them anything and so he could buy them coats."

"That sounds like at least $200. Maybe more since I don't know how much went on the WalMart card."

"I get it. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping my mind find its way out of the dark places."

He pulled Kurt as close as he could and kissed him. "You do the same for me, every single day."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt and Sebastian set their alarm for 3:00am and Skyped Lisette.

" _Merry Christmas, Mom._ "

" _Merry Christmas, Lisette_ ," Kurt said at the same time.

" _Merry Christmas, boys. You didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to call me_."

" _Well, we always open gifts by now and I didn't want to you to have to wait all day._ "

" _Okay. I have the box you sent. Did you get my card?_ "

" _Yes, we didn't open it yet since you said to wait_ ," Sebastian said.

" _Shall I open the box now?_ "

" _Please,_ " Kurt responded.

" _Oh, Kurt. It's lovely. It's a hummingbird. We don't have them here. I used to put feeders in our garden in Ohio and sit by the window and watch them._ "

" _Sebastian told me that when I had decided to make one for Carole for Christmas because she loves them. When I realized that you liked them too, we made both of you one. Your pins look completely different though._ "

" _We?_ "

" _Yes. Sam and I have been working on Sebastian's art skills. He did the painting._ "

" _Oh, wow. You did a great job, Sebastian._ "

" _Thanks, Mom._ "

" _You two said you didn't want me to get you anything, but I had already bought what's in the envelope. It's nothing big_."

Sebastian opened the envelope. There was a Christmas card made out to all three of them with two gift certificates - one to the sandwich shop and one to the Chinese restaurant.

" _Thanks. We all really like both of those places. We'll definitely enjoy going_."

" _Thank you," Kurt said as well._

" _We'll tell Sam when he gets back._ "

Lisette talked about her plans for the day. Kurt felt bad listening to her talk knowing that Sebastian wasn't going to be there with her and Mamie and Papi. They eventually said their goodbyes and hung up.

They took off their hoodies and slipped back under the covers.

"I can hear you thinking," Sebastian said.

"I think that's impossible."

"Not for me."

Kurt sighed.

"Please don't," Sebastian asked.

"I'll try."

Sebastian got Kurt to roll onto his side and he scooted close and kissed him. "I did what I wanted, which was to stay here. Please don't be sad about that."

"I'm not sad you're here. I'm sad you're not there."

"Well, I can't be both. And here is where I want to be." He took Kurt's hand and put it over his own heart. "Kids grown up. We've grown up. We're making our own family now. You and me. Sometimes we'll be able to spend time with the other parts of our family and other times not. But I always want to be with you."

"Even after all this time, I still struggle with the thought of someone putting me first."

"I know. We both do."

"We need to get some sleep," Kurt said.

"Meh. Sleep is overrated, plus we've done a lot of that the last few days. I say we pretend there's mistletoe over the bed."

Kurt laughed. "You make everything so much fun."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"This was a fun idea," Kurt said as he sprinkled bacon on his side of the pizza. "Where did you get the idea of making a breakfast pizza on Christmas morning?"

"Well, you asked for things that didn't take a lot of time to make, but I wanted to do something fun too. So, I cooked all of the ingredients up ahead of time and then left the fun of assembling it to do together."

"Well, it's awesome. I think we should do it every year."

"Mmm. I like the sound of that. Us together every year."

Kurt kissed him. "Me too." Sebastian opened the oven door and Kurt slid the pizza into the oven and set the timer.

Sebastian sat on the tabletop and motioned for Kurt to come to him. He spread his knees apart so Kurt could stand right against him. When he got close enough, Sebastian reached out for Kurt's hands and wrapped them around his waist when he got closer. Once their chests were flush, he wrapped his feet behind Kurt's knees and his arms around his neck. This position reversed their slight height difference and allowed Sebastian to lean his head into the crook of Kurt's neck like Kurt usually did with him. After a couple minutes, Sebastian started placing gentle open mouth kisses up Kurt's neck and Kurt started moaning.

"Too much?"

"No, I'm just no good at keeping quiet when something feels so good."

"I don't want you to keep quiet."

"That's good, since it takes my focus away from how good it feels to force myself to be quiet."

Sebastian resumed kissing Kurt's neck and eventually moved on to kissing him. A few minutes later the timer went off. Kurt stepped back and pulled the pizza out of the oven, sat it on the stovetop to cool and turned the oven off.

Sebastian pulled out plates while Kurt sliced the pizza. They both sat down with their plates. Kurt scooted closer to Sebastian and wrapped his foot around Sebastian's ankle just to touch him somewhere. They ate in silence for a while.

"Let's call Mamie and Papi before we get back in bed. It's the middle of the afternoon now."

"We'll call them after we finish eating."

"This is really good. Everything you made for us has been." He leaned over and kissed Sebastian on the cheek. "Thank you. It's been perfect."

"Merry Christmas. My present was perfect too," he teased.

"But I haven't given you your present yet."

Sebastian smirked.

"Oh," Kurt said thinking about it, finally realizing what Sebastian meant.

Sebastian picked up their plates and headed to the dishwasher. Kurt grabbed the pizza pan and started to wash it, but got distracted when Sebastian started running his hands along his sides. He stepped up closer and slipped his hands under Kurt's shirt, wrapped his arms around him and started kissing the back of his neck.

"How will I manage to wash this if you keep distracting me?"

"Then stop looking so tempting."

"I have bed head and I'm wearing pajamas and a hoodie."

"Your point?"

"That's tempting?"

"You're dancing around and ..."

"I always dance around."

"Exactly my problem."

Kurt redoubled his efforts to focus and finished and put the pan in the dish drain and dried his hands. He turned and ran his hands up and down Sebastian's sides. And then slid his hands up under Sebastian's hoodie and he shivered.

"Let's call them before we're too distracted to remember."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After they hung up from talking to everyone that was at Mamie and Papi's, Kurt went in the closet and called out to the living room, "I want to give you your present now. Will you sit on the bed?"

Sebastian came in the room and went to the dresser on his way to the bed and pulled out two boxes and then sat on the bed. Kurt walked over and sat on the bed as well.

They handed each other one of the boxes.

"You first," Kurt said.

Sebastian opened the box and he found the pendant that Kurt had made him in Paris on a stainless chain. Kurt opened the box that he had kept next to him and showed him that his pendant was on a similar chain.

"Our leather necklaces were wearing out and so I got the lightweight box chain stainless necklaces to replace the leather ones. That way they'll never wear out. The chains are slightly different if you look closely."

Sebastian looked at both of them. He put his on and then took Kurt's from him and fastened around Kurt's neck. "It's perfect. Thank you. Open yours."

Kurt opened his box to find a stainless analog watch. "Bas, it's really nice. I like the clock face rather than digital numbers."

"If you press the button in, it has a backlit indiglo light so you can still tell what time it is in the dark without it having to have glow in the dark tips on the watch hands."

"It's really nice. I love it." He held out his wrist and handed Sebastian the watch. He fastened it on Kurt's arm.

I got one for myself that's just slightly different from yours. Frequently in France men get watches when they get engaged and the women get rings. So, I got us both watches."

"Can I put yours on you?" Kurt asked.

"Of course." Sebastian held out his arm and Kurt fastened the watch.

"Both of us have thin wrists. I have a small screwdriver to adjust the tension on my sewing machine. Let me grab it and we can adjust the watch bands so they aren't loose." Kurt got up and grabbed the screwdriver and got right back in bed. He worked on both bands until they fit right. "There. Now, they won't slip around on us."

"Perfect."

Kurt reached over and turned on some instrumental Christmas music.

"Dance with me?"

"Always."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They ate lunch early in the afternoon and returned to the bedroom for a Christmas afternoon snuggle.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After several more hours of snuggling, Sebastian got up to get them a drink. When he brought them back, he got back in bed, but left his hoodie on.

"What's up?"

"Will you put your hoodie on and sit up. I want to talk about something."

"Okay." Kurt did as Sebastian asked. They rearranged the pillows so they could sit up more comfortably. Sebastian reached out and took Kurt's hand. Kurt interlaced their fingers.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all. Come closer." He made room for Kurt to sit between his legs and he wrapped his arms around Kurt and interlaced both of their hands. Kurt leaned back on Sebastian's shoulder.

Sebastian took a deep breath and then spoke. "I want to buy a house or a condo here."

"Well, that certainly is a complete change of topic. What made you think of that?"

"I've been thinking about it for a while and I've talked to my dad and Papi about it. Between you and my dad, this apartment costs $18,000 a year. We could buy a house or condo here outright and pay nothing in rent for the rest of the time we live here. Even if the market is flat and we sell for the same price we pay, we would lose the realtor's selling fees at closing, which would never come near $36,000, or more if we stay longer than two years."

"Well, that makes sense."

"Plus, you could actually enjoy being a college student and so could Sam. Both of you work so hard. We have our whole lives ahead of us to work every day. Everyone talks about how college was the best time of their lives. It only lasts a few years. I want to enjoy it with you. You come home so tired sometimes and then spend all evening studying. I think the program you're in is incredibly time consuming and physically taxing compared to most, except maybe being a dance major."

"Well, the idea is a good one. Have you started looking at options? And how are you proposing that we pay for the house or condo?"

"Well, if we find what we want before June, which is what I'm hoping for, then my dad would pay for the house and we'll pay him back when I get my trust fund when we get married."

"That doesn't sound very fair to you to have to pay for the whole thing."

"Well, it's just a short term investment, with a potential yield, but like all investments, there's the potential for loss as well. So, we look at it as a way to invest some of the money from my trust fund that will go back into the trust fund when we sell the house or condo. Or if you want, Papi says that he can liquidate your portfolio and we can split the cost by investing the money you have in your portfolio into the house along with half of the money for the cost coming from my trust fund."

"That sounds more reasonable to me."

"I figured you'd say that." Sebastian smiled and leaned over to kiss him. "You're definitely not a gold digger," he teased.

"Definitely not." He kissed Sebastian.

"So, I propose that we find a place that we can close on no later than early May. Then once our classes end, you and I can start any repairs or renovations to the property while Sam is finishing high school. That way we can be completely moved to the new place by the time we get married and leave for France. The lease here is up the end of June anyway. If we don't re-sign here, Sam will be left to move to a new place on his own while we're in Paris."

"I hadn't thought about that because I hadn't thought about moving. But you're right, if we buy our own place, it would save a lot of money. $18,000 a year is a lot of money to pay in rent and this isn't even one of the expensive places in town. How much can we buy a house or condo for?"

"I've been looking and I've seen nice ones for $100,000 or less."

"That sounds like so much money, but you're right that if we look at it as an investment of money we already have, rather than continuing to pay rent each month, we'll actually spend less. If we stay here for our Master's that would be four years at $18,000, if the rent doesn't go up. That's $72,000 spent with no return. Buying is a better financial choice. At least it seems to be. We'd need to get all of the details because condos charge monthly fees and we'd have to pay property taxes on a condo or house that we don't pay here."

"Dad and Papi mentioned those things too, but even if we count those things as losses we can't recover, it would still be less. If the two combined were $3000 a year - the insurance and taxes - it would still save $15,000 a year compared to renting.

"You're right that if we didn't pay rent each month, I could work less. I wonder if Joe would keep me on just one day a week so I don't lose my skills or fall behind on them."

"Maybe even if the place you work now won't, maybe you could find another place that would. I also think we need to find a way to get Sam his own vehicle. Once he enrolls in a college here, transportation will become a big issue for him. You picked this neighborhood specifically so he could walk to school and you'd drive to college, but in the fall, he's going to need to be able to drive himself to college too and you two can't be continually trying to juggle the Navigator while I'm driving the car to New Haven. There's no guarantee that at some point I won't have to break down and take Tuesday/Thursday classes as well."

"So, I could find a car that needs work done to it and I do it and it becomes Sam's. Maybe you can offer to pay for it up front and I'll do the work and he can pay us back when we get back from Paris. Maybe the camp will hire him for both shifts and he can work a lot while we're gone since he won't have anything else to do, but sit in the apartment or house or condo."

"It's something to keep in mind once he figures out where he's going to school and we figure out where we're going to be living. We could end up right near a bus stop that goes straight to whatever school he picks. We won't know that for a while though, so we need to keep a car on the list of potential things that he'll need."

"Later this week we could go out and look at the neighborhoods where you've been finding houses. I don't want to live next door to a crack house."

"Me neither. We'll get a realtor for sure. No 'for sale by owner' for our first home purchase."

"Grab your phone and show me, okay? We'll snuggle shop for houses like we did for the stuff for the apartment."

Sebastian handed him the phone. Within a few seconds Sebastian had wrapped himself completely around Kurt with his arms wrapped around Kurt's chest under the hoodie tracing patterns on his chest.

"Hey, now, when did you turn into an octopus?" Kurt asked while laughing.

"Mmm." Sebastian mumbled as he nuzzled into Kurt's neck. "Extreme snuggle shopping."

Kurt laughed even harder. "I love you. You make my life so much fun."

"I love you too and your laugh is ... I don't know. It just makes me feel good."

Kurt laughed even harder because Sebastian was just lightly tickling him, not really on purpose.

"Stop squirming. We can't look at houses with you thrashing around."

"I'm not thrashing on purpose. You're tickling me."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I know you don't like it." He started to pull his hands away from Kurt's abdomen.

"No. Put your hands back. Don't be sorry. I liked it."

"You did?"

"It's different. I never realized. I like it when you do it. I trust you not to use it to torture me."

Sebastian put his hands back where they were. "Okay. If you ever change your mind, just say so and I'll stop."

"I know." He turned his head back and kissed Sebastian gently. "Let's look at whatever website you've been looking at houses on."

Sebastian kept his arms around Kurt, but didn't tickle him.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Before dinnertime, Kurt's phone rang.

"Hey, Sam. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you too. Can you put your phone on speaker?"

"Sure. Speaker's on."

Kurt heard, "You have to say something..." in the background.

"Hi, Kurt."

"Hi, Stacey. Merry Christmas, sweetie. Have you had fun?"

"Yes, lots."

"What did you do?"

"Um, well, we opened Sebastian's presents after Sam got here. The next day we went shopping and we got new coats. Mine's purple. And we found a fun game at Goodwill too. It's called Mousetrap."

"That does sound like fun."

"It is. Have you played it before?"

"I have. It was a while ago though. What else did you do?"

"Well, last night we opened your presents. And this morning, we opened Sammy's presents. Thank you for the princess hat and gloves. Stevie likes his Star Wars ones too."

"What did Sam get you?"

"Oh, oh, oh. He bought me a giant set of crayons with over a hundred different colors. And he bought me coloring books and paper. He got Stevie a Star Wars hoodie. He doesn't like to draw like me."

"I bet he liked the Star Wars hoodie."

"He did. Sammy brought his Star Wars movies with him and he and Stevie watched them. I don't like the movies really. But Sammy took me to the library after we went shopping and checked out some princess movies and he watched them with me. He even fixed my hair and put my crown on that you gave me."

"I bet it looked really pretty on you."

"Sammy took a picture. I'll get him to send it to you. What did you get for Christmas?"

"Sebastian bought me a watch. I really like it."

"I don't have a watch."

"I didn't either until Sebastian gave me this one."

"Sammy says he's really nice and that he loves you lots."

"Well, Sam is right."

"I didn't like your last boyfriend. I never told you 'cause I didn't want to hurt your feelings. But Sammy says that you and Sebastian are gonna get married in the summer."

"He's right. We are."

"Well, I'm glad he's nice. You're nice. You should have a nice boyfriend."

"I agree."

"What did you get him for Christmas?"

"I got him a necklace."

"Did he like it?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's good. I liked all of my presents too. I already read one whole book from the set Sebastian gave me."

"Did you like it?"

"Uh huh. I'm gonna read the next one soon. Sammy said Sebastian was going to send me more, but I didn't know if he was right or not."

"He's right. Do you want to talk to Sebastian? He's sitting by me."

"Okay. Hi, Sebastian."

"Hi, Stacey. I will definitely send you more books if you read all of those."

"Really? You mean it?"

"Of course."

"Wow! Thanks. The library has some of 'em, but they're missing some so I can never read the whole set."

"Well, that won't be a problem. You can just tell Sam which set you want next and I'll get them for you."

"Sammy's right. You are nice."

Kurt spoke up again. "Did you have a nice Christmas dinner?"

"Oh, yes. We had chicken and mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese and green beans and Sammy made us a cake. I helped."

"I bet you were a big help."

"I tried. The frosting was harder to get on than I thought it would be."

"I'm sure you did a great job."

"It tasted good. If you were here, you could have some. I miss you."

"I miss you too, sweetie."

"I have to hang up. Momma says we're gonna watch the _Charlie Brown Christmas_ movie now."

"Okay. Bye, Stacey," Kurt said.

"Bye, Stacey," Sebastian added.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

You do know that there are a LOT of those books.

"I don't care. She's a little girl that likes historical fiction. How can I say 'no' to that?"

"You're a softie. I think there's like 15 girls and books written about all of them."

"I wonder if she'd like the _Magic Treehouse_ books. Next time, I'm sending the first one of those as an incentive to start reading them."

"It will take Stevie a while to get through the two books you sent. They're actually above his reading level, but that's what he said he wanted. He needs a kid's dictionary to look up the words he doesn't know. I'll text Sam to go buy him one when the stores open tomorrow. If there's no bookstore around there, I'll send him one from Amazon."

"Every kid needs a dictionary," Sebastian agreed.

"You're such a nerd."

"Pot calling the kettle black. It was your idea to get the dictionary."

"I already knew I was a nerd though. Learning that you were one too was a surprise."

"I loved the look on your face when you came in my room that first night. I saw it a lot in France too. You're totally adorable when you're awed by something."

"Hush you."

"Nope, never. I can tell you how cute you are whenever I want." Sebastian kissed the side of his neck.

"Mmm." Kurt relaxed back and tipped his head back onto Sebastian's shoulder giving him easier access to his neck.

"I thought we were house hunting," Sebastian teased.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian slid back in the bed quickly. "The lasagna should be done in about 30 minutes."

"Ooh. What kind?"

"The veggie chicken one you like so much."

"Yum. You like it too, right? You didn't have to only make my favorite things."

"Of course, I like it. It's delicious. And all of the things I made are things we both like."

"This has been an awesome vacation. I love spending time talking to you."

"Me too. Towards the end of the semester, I was really missing you."

"I'll try not to freak out so much at the end of this coming semester."

"I'm not upset that you freaked out. It just hurt me to see you so stressed. Now, that you've lived through it once, you have a better idea what to expect. When do your grades get posted? Mine are already up, but I didn't look yet."

"Mine are up too. Let's wait until tomorrow to look. No school, not even grade checking, on our mini vacation."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian's phone started ringing when they were almost done eating. He went and brought it back to the kitchen.

"It was my dad. Let's finish up and I'll call him back."

A few minutes later, Sebastian led Kurt over to the sofa and sat down, pulling Kurt into his lap in the corner like they frequently sat.

"Hi, Dad. Merry Christmas."

"Is Kurt with you?"

"Yes."

"Turn on the speaker."

"It's on."

"Merry Christmas to both of you."

"Merry Christmas," Kurt said. "Did you get the package we sent?"

"I did, but I didn't open it yet. I waited until I came back from the Hummel's to call you and to open it."

"Go ahead and open it then," Sebastian said.

They could hear Reid removing the paper.

"I bet Kurt made this. Lisette showed me the photos of the brooches he made."

"Actually, we both worked on it," Kurt said. "Sam and I have been giving Sebastian art lessons. So, he did the color work on it."

"Well, it's really unusual and I like it. No more boring plain silver tie clip for me," he laughed.

Sebastian smiled. He'd never heard his dad laugh before. He had tears in his eyes. Kurt noticed and wiped them away.

"I'm glad you like it, Dad."

"Me too. I'm assuming that you saw what we sent Carole and my dad then?"

"No, they must have put them away thinking that they might give away what you had been up to."

Kurt laughed. "Must have been Carole."

"Well, I have something for the two of you, but it's not something I could mail."

"Okay."

"I looked through the JPs in the area and I hired the highest rated one to do your ceremony this summer. You two will need to call her soon with the date and time you want so she doesn't book someone else at the same time you want. She's highly recommended and does same sex ceremonies frequently. I'll text you the website so you can get everything set up."

"Wow, Dad. Thanks!"

"That's amazing. Thank you, Reid. We hadn't even started looking for anyone yet."

"Well, you can read all about her. She does videos and other stuff. You can even pick what she wears, it says."

"We'll definitely look at it tonight."

"We do have a date already." Kurt said. "If you want to know so you can plan, it's June 12th. We're hoping for late afternoon or early evening, but we'll talk to the JP and make sure what's available. We don't have a venue yet."

"She'll arrange that. She'll do all of the booking for you."

"That will be helpful since we're not all that familiar with everything here," Kurt said.

"Mom said that the two of would get hotel rooms. So, June 12th. You can come earlier if you want. We want to get plane tickets to leave and fly out overnight that night. The rest we haven't planned yet, but we'll be able to now. Thank you. It's a great gift."

"It really is. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Maybe one day the rest of the states will get their acts together. But I'm glad you live somewhere where you can do this like you want."

"Me too."

"I agree," Kurt added.

"Well, thank you for the tie clip. Have fun looking at her website. And Merry Christmas."

"Bye, Dad."

"Bye, Reid."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt brushed the tears off Sebastian's face again. He pulled him close and held him tight. He stroked his hair gently as he held him. They sat there for quite a while like that. Sebastian eventually quit crying and relaxed in Kurt's arms.

"All those years..."

Kurt just held him.

"He cared all along. I hate that things were so bad. I hate that I didn't know."

"Well, he got us something really helpful and he seems genuinely excited for us."

"It's more than I had ever even thought was possible. It feels so strange still."

"I know it will take time to get used to him being so different. But maybe over time, you can get to know each other and become friends. I know it may never be like what you had hoped for as a kid..."

"You're right. Maybe in time, we can become friends. I'm honestly glad he's getting better."

"Me too."

"That was the first time I've heard him laugh."

"Oh, wow."

"Yeah. He even went and had Christmas dinner with your parents. I'm shocked honestly. I couldn't even get him to come out and eat dinner in the dining room or kitchen."

"He's moved and sold off the excess stuff he had. He's being social. He's supporting us. He's made light years worth of progress in the six or seven months."

"He really has."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian and Kurt enjoyed their last night of complete vacation. They decided to put off looking at the JP's site for a day or two.

The next morning arrived earlier than either of them wanted, but Kurt got up and went to work. Sebastian left not long afterwards and headed to Costco. He went to get the fuzzy slippers and then just look around for a while to find something new to try for dinner.

It was always hard for him when Kurt went to work for long shifts and he didn't have schoolwork to focus on. He went in and started looking around the clothing area. He found the awesome furry, fuzzy slippers that he had seen before. He picked up an XL to see if they might fit and surprisingly they did since they were mule style. He grabbed blue, purple and green. They would look like they had Muppets on their feet all winter, which he was sure would lead to a lot of fun with Sam doing all sorts of voices.

He found a small freestanding electric heater. He decided to get it and try it out. He missed giving Kurt massages and getting them, but he didn't want to turn up the heat in the whole apartment. He thought the little heater might be just what they needed.

He browsed through the frozen food section, where they rarely ever bought anything other than vegetables and fruit. He enjoyed sampling everything that was on display, but he opted to go to the fresh food and buy some salad ingredients and some fresh salsa. He decided to surprise Kurt with a taco salad when he got home from work. He stopped and rented _Pitch Perfect_ from a Redbox.

By the time Kurt got home from work, Sebastian had everything ready. He had also done the laundry and cleaned the bathroom. He was looking forward to spending the evening with Kurt and he was glad that Kurt wasn't working all day the next day. The 10-hour shifts just left Kurt beat and Sebastian with too much time on his hands. At least Kurt was only working six hours the next day. He was definitely going to download a new book to read.

Kurt walked in about 6:20, looking really tired.

"Come on, shower time for you. I got us something at Costco. You can see when you get out."

"Come with me?" Kurt asked.

Sebastian nodded. He washed Kurt's hair and rubbed his shoulders, while Kurt did the rest to speed the process up. Kurt even let him blow dry his hair when they got out.

"You're exhausted, mon ange. What happened?"

"Just a lot of physical labor today. Since the guys who do the wrecker work had to work the holiday, they were off today and I had to lug tires around and help lift stuff. Just tiring."

"Well, I have something to lighten the mood. Close your eyes." He walked Kurt over to the bed. "Here, sit down." He put the fuzzy slippers on Kurt and put his own pair on and told Kurt, "Open your eyes."

"Oh, Bas, they're hysterical. He saw the green ones on the bed. "You got some for Sam too. You know what he's going to do right?"

"I figure we'll come home and they'll have eyes like Muppets. Or he'll at least make up voices for them."

"That's exactly what I was thinking. He's going to love them. How did you find funny furry men's slippers?"

"They're girls' slippers."

"Of course. Men's slippers would never be so much fun. Let's take the tags off. I love them. They're easy to slip on and off since they have no heels. They're perfect. Stand next to me and let me take a picture of our feet to send to Carole." Kurt took a picture with his phone and texted it to her. "Done."

"Let's eat. Dinner's ready."

"Good. I'm starving. I love cooking with you, but after the really long shifts, it's really nice to just eat rather than have to make it first."

Sebastian pulled the spicy pork he had made out of the oven where he put it to keep it warm.

"Grab the salads out of the fridge, please. They're ready to go once we add the meat and the tortilla strips."

"It smells really good." He sat the salads on the counter and reached out for Sebastian. Sebastian stepped toward him and let himself be pulled into Kurt's arms. "Thank you. You take such good care of me."

"You're welcome. I have no doubt you'd do the same for me." He kissed him and moved back over to the stove to finish their salads. He put them on the table and they sat down. Sebastian scooted closer to Kurt and put his elbow on the back of Kurt's chair and ran his hand through Kurt's hair.

"Mmm. This is really good."

"If you want extra salsa, there's more in the fridge."

"It's good like this, but thanks. What did you do today besides buy the best fuzzy slippers ever?"

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"That feels so good. Yeah, there."

"Mon ange, you just can't keep hurting your back. Is there a back brace or something you could use?"

"I've been wearing one for the tires, but I must be lifting them wrong or something. Or maybe I'm just not strong enough and I need to work out more? Ow. Yeah. Down a little."

"You're not doing tires tomorrow are you?"

"No, I'm back to regular stuff like oil changes, radiators, spark plugs, and stuff. Unless someone brings in something unusual and I'll do that instead."

"Well, at least it won't be more tires. Can you put your arms up so I can rub your biceps and upper arms easier?" Kurt moved his arms above his head. "That's better."

"I like the little heater. I'd be freezing if you hadn't gotten that. We don't need to leave it on once we go to sleep, but it's great for this and it will be good for my stretching and ballet."

"I'm going to turn it off and turn the lights off."

"Okay." Kurt scooted over to his side of the bed. "Thanks for getting the movie. It was fun."

"I thought so too. Is it okay if I download a book tomorrow while you're at work?"

"Sure. You know that. You can use my Kindle whenever you want. I don't even take it to school with me anymore. I do my homework between classes rather than read. Did you check your grades yet?"

"No, I wanted to do it with you."

They both grabbed their phones and logged into their school accounts.

"I both want to know and don't want to know," Kurt said. He looked through the menu to find the right link to click on. "Ready or not..." He clicked the link. "3.97."

Sebastian opened his grade report page. "4.0."

"Wow. You did great, mon choix."

"So, did you. What did you not get an A in?"

"I got an A- in ballet and jazz, but since they are just 1 credit courses, it didn't lower my GPA much.

"I think an A- is really good. You'd never taken either one before and a lot of the other people in your class had had several years of experience."

"I know. I just put a lot of pressure on myself. I had hoped I had done well enough to get all As."

"Well, you did great and I'm proud of you. You worked really hard, a lot harder than I did. Well, I did work hard in math, but you helped me all semester. You'd make a good math teacher."

"That's what Sam always said. But I'm not interested. Math is logical and makes sense to me and I'm good at it, I guess. But math teacher is not on my career goal list."

"Well, thank you for being my math tutor because it really helped. And I don't have to take anymore math classes ever, so now I can forget everything I worked so hard to learn."

"You goof."

"Well, you tell me when I'm going to need to solve for three variables and figure out the angle of some triangle that couldn't possibly serve any purpose in my life. Now, balancing checkbooks, solving for one variable, maybe even two, figuring compound interest, maybe even figuring out which numbers in set are outliers. Everything else besides the basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division - useless. They should just teach 'math for real life' courses to everyone who isn't a science or math field related major."

"You know there are math majors sitting somewhere saying, 'studying a foreign language is never going to serve any purpose in my life and I can guarantee I will never write another essay once I'm out of college. They should just not make math majors take those classes.'" Kurt laughed.

"Okay, okay. You win. But maybe you'll understand better if I explain to you that I was in the Littéraire program in France. I studied foreign languages, philosophy, history, geography, and lots of literature. I hadn't taken a math or science class since my sophomore year, which was my first year in French high school. Last year at Dalton I had to take Trigonometry and Precalc, which I was totally unprepared for, plus I had to take Chemistry, American Literature, US Government, AP Psych and US History. The only classes I chose was AP Music Theory and AP Art History. I didn't actually take Spanish or French classes at Dalton. I read the required books for the AP Spanish Literature exam on my own. Since I was already fluent in both languages and I had studied them in 9th-11th grade, I had enough language credits. I had a math tutor at Dalton. I would have never passed without one. Technically I never took Algebra 2."

"Another reason why Dalton Sebastian was in a foul mood. What a workload. I remember you saying that your mom had to fight to get you senior standing for months."

"Yeah, it was a real nightmare. I was seriously afraid I'd be stuck in Ohio for another whole school year because the classes I was forced to take at Dalton would not have helped me at all in the Littéraire track in my school in Paris OR I would have to return to Paris and repeat my final year there with everyone knowing that I had been held back a grade. I'll stop whining. It's over anyway. And thanks to my most excellent math tutor, I got an A. So, there math! I won." Sebastian laughed with a maniacal laugh.

"Are you going to be able to keep your six clients from last semester?"

"Yes. They all still want to keep their slots. So, that will save me the time of looking for new people."

"Good." Kurt was really tired and he turned over and scooted back against Sebastian, who wrapped his arms around him. Kurt was sound asleep in no time.

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The next morning, they looked through the JP's website and called to schedule their ceremony time before someone else could request it. They didn't think it would be a really popular date, but they didn't want to take any chances. She was super nice on the phone and saved the afternoon of the 12th for them. She sent them an email with a list of venues that were similar to what they had described. Once they decided, she would make all of the arrangements. She also sent a list of the nicer restaurants in town for the meal after the ceremony.

"She was nice. We can look through these places today and maybe we can go out and look at our top three choices tomorrow and pick our first and second choices so she can get a venue reserved soon."

"Good plan."

They spent the rest of the morning looking through the links before Kurt left for work. Sebastian downloaded a new book and spent the whole day reading it.

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They had finalized their choices the night before and went out driving to look at them that morning before Kurt had to go to work. They looked at three outdoor venues for the ceremony and visited three upscale restaurants.

By the time they had visited all of the places, Kurt had to go to work. Sebastian stayed home after Kurt left and categorized the pros and cons of all of the places they had been to see based on the notes he took.

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That night after dinner, they sat down on the sofa in their favorite position and looked through Sebastian's list and made their choices and backups. They emailed their choices to the JP.

"Do you have any ideas for how you want everyone to dress? Does it matter to you?" Kurt asked.

"Well, I guess the only weddings I've seen have the bride in a long white dress and the groom in a tux. I never really thought about it specifically in relation to what I would want. Honestly, I never really considered it all that much because it's not legal in France."

"Well, I did think about it a lot, but none of what I thought I would want way back then turns out to be what I want now."

"Which is?"

"Simple. Really simple. This is us. We aren't fancy, complicated people. We're neat, streamlined, and organized. Maybe other people find that complicated or fussy, but to me it's just keeping things simple."

"So, what are you thinking?"

"Well, I've been thinking about two different things. One is more of the traditional black and white, with all of the guys wearing black pants, white shirts, black and white ties, maybe vests or suit jackets. Our moms would wear black dresses. This is the least expensive option. I really hate the idea of making everyone buy something they'll never wear again."

"And the other idea you had?"

"Well, half the bridal party wears plum and the other half a nice cerulean or cobalt blue. The men's shirts and our mom's dresses would be the same color, but that would be harder to pull off, but maybe not impossible. We could just order six of the same shirts, but in the correct sizes and colors for the six guys. I can tailor them to get the fit right, if need be. It would be getting dresses the right color that would be harder, but if we go with an idea like this, the sooner we order the shirts the better because it would give our moms longer to find dresses the right color."

"Both ideas could look really nice. Matching ties for the guys too or different ties?"

"I'm not sure. The thing is that ties are actually super expensive. They often cost more than the dress shirt. If we went with black ties, no one would have to buy one because I'm sure that your dad and mine have black ties. I bet Philipe owns one and probably only Sam doesn't, but buying one tie is a lot less expensive than buying six."

"True, but I kind of like the idea of the black and white ties on the white shirts if we're going with black and white rather than wearing plain black ties with the white shirts."

"I don't want everyone to look identical. So maybe, each guy picks out his own black and white tie? I think I'll work on both ideas and we can look at a mock up of both ideas."

"Good idea."

"Flowers?"

"Meh. Not an issue for me."

"Me either. I think it might be more fun to design a new brooch for our moms and then do tie clips for the guys. That way, they could use them again and we won't have to worry about things wilting or anything."

"That could be cool."

They continued to discuss arrangements for their guests and other wedding related topics for a while.

Sebastian changed the topic. "I've been thinking about what we were talking the other day. When we were talking about how you saw my accepting my dad's money differently from accepting your dad's money."

"I remember."

"I'm not really okay with the current arrangement continuing."

"In what way?"

"Well, if I'm old enough to get married, which I'm not questioning, then I'm old enough to pay my own bills. I won't change the agreement for my dad to cover my tuition and college expenses because that was an arrangement made between him and Mom. I know they agreed about him covering my living expenses too, but I don't feel right about that. I want us to be our own family and be self-sufficient. I realize that we are in a unique situation with having the ability to buy a house so young, but other than that I want us to cover the rest of our costs on our own. I don't want my dad paying for my groceries and stuff after we get married."

"I can understand that. I wasn't going to say anything because it's your family's agreement, not mine."

"I already know that Mom and Dad are going to pay for our plane tickets to France this summer after the wedding. Mom said so. There's little point in arguing. It's what they want to do for us as a wedding gift. We've both discussed the issue of gifts."

"Mmm hmm."

"I've not spent any of the money I made last semester tutoring. I don't know how much you've saved. That's one thing that we have yet to combine. And I know money is a hot point with you, but I think we need to talk about it."

"I think I like my dad and Carole's method where they each deposit a pre-determined amount into a joint account and pay all of the bills and joint expenses out of that. Then they can use the rest as discretionary funds in separate accounts. That brings up something else. Do you want me to sign a pre-nup? You're social standing is vastly higher than mine and although I have no intent of ever leaving you, I never want you to think that I would go after any of your family's money."

"I'll ask my dad. I don't want you to sign one, but I guess he might or Papi might. I'll find out."

"I think we could also start a joint savings account where we each deposit a predetermined amount for the trips we want to take together."

"That's a good idea."

"You're right about the money issue. It's the hardest thing for me, but I love you and we're making a new family together and I can't keep doing things on my own. That's not the way a marriage works."

"I make $20 an hour and have six clients a week. I work 15 weeks each semester, which comes out to about $3600 a year, given that no one skips a session."

"Well, I make $24 an hour before taxes. And right now, my expenditures are only leaving me about $200 left over each month with my typical 20-hour week."

"But if we didn't have to pay the rent, you'd automatically have a $750 decrease in expenses. We can shop around for a local insurance place and see if we can find a better deal than we have now for the two vehicles plus home owner's insurance. If your cell phone contract is up, we might be able to save money by getting a family plan with three lines instead of me paying separately from the two of you. You're much better at math than me and you did all of the budgeting to get you and Sam here. We can sit down after I get some quotes and we can work out a detailed budget, but I really want to do this just the two of us, without you working as many hours next year."

Kurt was rubbing his fingers across Sebastian's ring. "This really brave of you. We'll work on a budget. It will be different for you for sure. You've never lived where you've had to watch what you spend all the time, but at the same time, you're not a big spender, so I don't see a problem with us working out our financial situation together."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Believing in me. Believing in us."

"Always. We can do this."


	30. Chapter 30

Kurt worked his normal Saturday shift and Sebastian did their weekly shopping at Costco while he was at work. Sebastian brought back all of the groceries, put them away and started a pot of vegetable stew for lunch. He did laundry again, cleaned the apartment and was totally ready for Kurt to get home when he finally did.

"Mmm. It smells really good in here," Kurt said as he came in the door and hung his coat up. "What did you make?"

"It's just a simple stew."

"Well, it smells fantastic. Do you want to eat first? I can shower afterwards, if you want."

"Sure. Everything's ready." Sebastian put the stew in bowls and sliced some bread and plated it with the fruit he had already sliced up. Kurt put the bowls on the table and sat down.

"This is good. It has kind of a curry flavor. I like it."

"I'll print the recipe and put it in the 'make this again' box."

"That's something you could do one day when you're utterly bored."

"What's that?"

"You could retype our favorite recipes and print them out on cardstock and put them in a small binder. That way we could find what we're looking for faster and easier."

"Good idea."

"You can translate the French and Spanish ones into English so that Sam can make them on his own if he ever wants to."

"I could do that."

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That evening at the karaoke place, Kurt and Sebastian were surprised that Elliott and Adam were there. Elliott wowed the crowd with his cover of "I Want to Break Free."

"That was amazing!" Kurt said when Elliot came back to the table. "You totally killed that. You should start a band or like go on _American Idol_."

"I've thought about it - the band part. _American Idol?_ "

"You're really good. You should think about it," Kurt encouraged him.

Elliott shrugged. "Maybe."

Even more surprising was that Adam got up to sing. He did a crazy rendition of "All About that Bass", reworking a few of the lyrics since he was a guy, not a girl. He had the audience in stitches.

"Oh, my God, that was so funny!" Kurt said as Adam sat back down. Kurt, Sebastian, and Elliott were laughing so hard. Kurt had tears streaming down his cheeks.

"That was hysterical."

"Well, I'm glad you all enjoyed it so much." Adam said smiling.

Kurt's name was next up on the list. "You're a tough act to follow. I'm singing an oldie, which is not the least bit funny." Kurt got up and two of the Apples that had sung with him before got on stage and sang "Everlasting Love". The audience enjoyed the song, even if it wasn't as entertaining as Adam had been.

"Now, that was lovely," Adam said. "We're going to have to arrange some popular new song in the old fashioned girl group style for you three to sing with the Apples."

"Sounds fun," Kurt said and the girls nodded in agreement.

They sat around munching on the different things they had ordered. Eventually, Sebastian's name was called and he got up.

"Does he sing at school?" Adam asked.

"No. He thought about it, but decided not to audition for any of their a cappella groups. Maybe he will in the future. He was really good as the leader of the Warblers," Kurt answered.

"He has a nice voice. People like to listen to him sing."

Sebastian sang an oldie too. The audience enjoyed his version of "So Amazing." Kurt stood and hugged him when he got back to their table. Kurt put his arm around the back of Sebastian's chair and gently rubbed his hand across his shoulder while they all talked.

"We didn't realize that so many people would be staying over break. I thought with the dorms closed, you would have gone home," Kurt said.

"Well, we've spread out amongst the Apples that didn't leave town and stayed there. Most of us are taking Winter Term courses and at least for me, it didn't make sense to spend so much on a plane ticket just to be there for a couple of weeks."

Kurt leaned in close to Sebastian and whispered something in his ear and Sebastian nodded. "Do you have plans for New Year's Eve? We could have a movie night and a pitch-in pizza party at our place."

"That sounds like fun."

"Fair warning, though. No alcohol. But, if you can live with that, then we'd love to have you guys over. If Dani and Charlene are in town, they're invited too," Kurt added.

"How many of the Apples stayed?"

"I think just the three of us and three others."

"Well, you can invite them too as long as their okay with the no alcohol rule. And that also means don't show up drunk," Kurt added.

"I'll see. Thanks for inviting us. I'll let everyone know and then let you know."

"Sounds good," Sebastian said. "Sam will be back tomorrow, so he'll be there too."

"You're not going to be showing history documentaries are you?" Adam teased.

"Ha! So funny," Kurt snarked back. "No, we can watch whatever the majority wants. Someone can pick up some movies at Redbox or whatever. But if people bring horror movies, I reserve the right to sit in Sebastian's lap, listen to my iPod and hide my eyes through them."

"So, not a horror fan?" one of the Apples asked.

"Not at all," Kurt answered.

"Got it," Adam said. "I'll tell the others to skip the horror movies. So, what time?"

"6:00? We could watch three movies before midnight," Sebastian offered.

"Alright. I'll let the other Apples know."

"I'll tell Dani. Charlene went home," Elliott said.

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Kurt woke up with Sebastian snuggled up in his arms. He could tell that Sebastian was awake, just waiting for him to wake up. Sebastian turned over in his arms once he realized that Kurt had woken up.

"Good morning, mon ange."

"Good morning to you, mon choix." Kurt lay back and Sebastian scooted to lay his head on Kurt's shoulder. "So, anything on our agenda for today besides picking Sam up tonight?"

"Well, I was thinking that it's been a long time since we did the spa day and that we're probably long overdue for another one."

"That sounds fun. This time we can do the whole thing because I have all of my stuff here and I didn't in Paris."

"Sure."

"You don't really care, do you?" Kurt laughed.

"Well, my motives are probably not the same as yours, if that's what you mean. But I most certainly care. I care about having fun with you."

"Hmm. It's been a while since we played Connect the Dots. I think that's how we should start."

"I'm okay with that, but let's turn the little heater on first or I'm going to turn into a Sebastian-cicle when you're drawing on me."

Kurt slipped out of the bed and turned the little heater on and climbed back in. "There. We'll just let it get to work for a while first."

"Our breakfast is in the fridge, ready to eat. We could get dressed and go eat while it warms up over here."

"Good plan. When did you make breakfast?"

"Yesterday when you were at work."

They slipped their pajamas, hoodies and slippers on and went out to the kitchen. Kurt turned some music on while Sebastian pulled out the sandwiches he had made the day before.

Kurt walked up to him and asked, "Dance with me?"

Sebastian pulled him close and they waltzed around in the open area. After the first song ended, Sebastian kissed him. "Let's eat. You have a canvas to decorate."

Sebastian was obviously in a hurry to get the artwork started because he served their breakfast on paper towels. They ate and returned to their room, pausing only long enough for Kurt to turn the music back off.

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Two hours later, they had finished with the facials, manis, pedis, a shower and full body massages and they were in bed snuggled up.

"That was so much fun." Kurt said still laughing from the fact that Sebastian had planned all of it in advance and had even bought black fingernail polish for him to use on both of them.

"So, we're going to dress in our punk rock outfits for the New Year's Eve party tomorrow evening?" Kurt asked.

"That was my plan. Is that okay?"

"I love the idea. Should we tell everyone else it's a punk rock party?"

"Let's tell Elliott and Adam. Punk rock or 80s. That will give people more options. They can tell everyone else. I don't have anyone else's numbers, do you?"

"I have the Apple's roster, so technically yes, but I bet Adam will call them for us, if we ask. Oh, and remind them it's a pitch-in so everyone will remember to bring something."

Sebastian picked his phone up off the side table and texted Elliott and Adam and let them know of the theme.

"Maybe we can make a cake tomorrow or something. A cake and cookies. Everyone loves cookies," Kurt said.

"Sounds like a plan."

"You are so much fun," Kurt said and kissed Sebastian.

"I'm glad you think so. I already have an 80s play list too, if we want to use it."

"Definitely."

Sebastian's phone pinged with positive responses from Adam and Elliott.

"Well, that's done. They're going to tell everyone else. So, an 80s, punk rock party it is."

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They spent the afternoon snuggled up in bed reading. They eventually had to get up and get dressed so they could pick Sam up from the airport. They cooked a roast with carrots before they left and turned the oven off and left it in the oven to keep it warm while they were gone.

An hour later, they were back with Sam.

"Ooh. It smells good in here," Sam said as he came in.

"Dinner will be done in ten minutes," Kurt said.

Sam put his things away and came back to find everything out on the counter ready to be served. They filled their plates and talked about their holidays. Kurt and Sebastian told him about their party plans for the next day. Sam liked the idea.

"You'll help me glam up, right?" Sam asked Kurt.

"Of course."

Sam and Sebastian started working on the dishes while Kurt packed up the leftovers for lunch the next day.

"Sit on the couch and close your eyes," Kurt instructed Sam.

"Hey, now I said no gifts," Sam protested as he sat down and closed his eyes.

"Well, we sort of didn't listen," Kurt argued. Sebastian went in their room, put his slippers on, brought out Kurt's and Sam's. Kurt put his on and then he sat down next to Sam and propped his feet up on the coffee table. Sebastian followed his lead and did the same on Sam's other side.

"Sit back against the back of the couch and put your hands out," Kurt said. So, he did.

Kurt put the slippers in his hands and told him to open his eyes.

Sam laughed really loudly. "These are AWESOME. These are the best slippers ever. They need eyes."

"We knew you'd say that," Sebastian laughed. "It's your job, as the resident artist, to make the eyes."

"So, long as Kurt sews them on somehow so they stay on through the washer. Or maybe they can velcro on. I'll work on it. I LOVE them." Sam had a huge smile on his face.

"So, show us your Christmas pictures. We got the one of Stacey and Stevie with the books of course, but you had to have taken others."

Sam pulled his phone out and showed them all of the pictures he took. They spent time talking and catching up, and then moved on to party planning.

They opted for a sci fi movie in honor of Sam's return. Sebastian sat in the corner with Kurt next to him. They both had their legs extended down the one side of the sofa. Sam was sitting on Kurt's other side with his legs criss-crossed in front of him. By the end of the movie, they had all three fallen asleep. Sebastian was sleeping snuggled into Kurt's side and Sam was sleeping with his head on Kurt's lap. Fortunately for Kurt, he had stuffed one of the pillows behind his head to be more comfortable. He woke up during the credits and just restarted the movie, not wanting to wake either one of them up. Around midnight, he finally woke the two of them up so they could get in bed.

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Once they were in their room, Sebastian had gotten his second wind from the nap and he followed Kurt into the closet. He shut the door behind them and started kissing him.

"Oh, so now you're awake?" he teased. "Mmm," he moaned as Sebastian pinned him to the closet door and started kissing his neck.

Sebastian whispered in his ear. "I really need another shower."

"I can tell," Kurt whispered back. "Come on."

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Kurt woke up to find Sebastian watching him sleep as he had so many times over the last seven months. Sebastian managed to grab the edge of the comforter before Kurt could pull it over his face.

" _Now, now, none of that. You know how much I like the view,_ " he teased.

Kurt went on the offensive this time as he had a few times in the past. He managed to wrangle the covers free and this time he pulled them over both of their heads and climbed over Sebastian, pinning him to the bed and started tickling him.

" _Hey, now_ ," Sebastian said between laughing.

Kurt replaced his fingers with his mouth and started kissing Sebastian's ribs. Sebastian was stuck between not wanting to squirm and squirming anyway because it tickled. Kurt only kiss tickled him for a minute or so, and then just kissed him without tickling him. He worked his way up to his neck and then he gently lowered himself and propped up on his elbows and kissed him passionately. " _I love you,_ " he said as they kissed.

Kurt slid down next to Sebastian and put his head on Sebastian's chest and just traced patterns on his chest.

Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt and laughed. " _Aren't you full of spunk this morning?_ " he teased.

"Mmm." Kurt just smiled.

Sebastian turned on his side and gently kissed Kurt. " _I love you, mon ange. Are you ready to get up?_ "

" _Not yet_."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

After lunch, they had made two different types of cookies and a cake. They realized that they didn't have enough plates to serve everyone who would be there and Sam made a run out to the dollar store to buy some party plates and some paper cups. He also went to Goodwill to buy a $2 shirt for Kurt to artfully destroy for the party. His last stop was the lobby of the Chinese restaurant that had temporary tattoos in a vending machine for a quarter each. He bought eight of them and headed back home.

By 5:00, the three of them were decked out in their punk rocker outfits. Kurt had cut the sleeves off of the t-shirt Sam brought back and punked it out. He also applied the temporary tattoos all over Sam's arms. He painted Sam's nails black and did his make up too. Sebastian did his own make up while Kurt worked on Sam. They propped Kurt's phone up and used the timer feature to take some group selfies before anyone arrived. Kurt sent them to Lisette.

Everyone had arrived by 6:15. They sang, they danced, they ate, they watched a few 80s movies, and they sang and dance and ate more. By 1:00, everyone was ready to head home. Their first party had been a lot of fun for everyone. And no one seemed to mind the lack of alcohol.

After everyone left, Kurt checked the door and headed off to the shower. He was almost tired enough to just go straight to bed, but he needed to get the make up off and get the product out of his hair, so he persevered in his trajectory to the bathroom.

He found Sebastian using make up remover and joined him in the process. A few minutes into it, they heard a knock on their door. Sam needed Kurt's make up remover as well. Kurt helped him get the make up off and he headed off for his own bathroom to shower and get the stiff gel out of his hair.

A half-hour later, all three of them finally made it to their beds product free.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kurt was all wrapped around Sebastian, holding him close. "We made it through our first party."

"We did."

"Are you okay?"

"Surprisingly, yes. The lack of alcohol helped a lot. Keeping our bedroom door locked and keeping my personal water bottle in our closet where I could go get a drink if I needed one helped too."

"Good." Kurt kissed him on the shoulder. "Talking, kissing, snuggling, or sleeping? You don't really seem ready to fall asleep yet."

"Well, that's true. I'm a little on edge still, but it was good for me too. Mmm, you're a little bit like my octopus mug right now though, so I can't really turn over to kiss you."

"Well, that's easily solved." Kurt loosened his snuggle and slid back away from Sebastian towards his own side of the bed and gave Sebastian room to turn over.

"Better?" But before he could really speak, Kurt pressed his lips to Sebastian's and started kissing him. He reintertwined every part of himself back up with Sebastian, but this time they were facing each other.

Sebastian had to catch his breath. "Mmm. Yeah, definitely better."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

The three of them spent New Year's Day snacking on the leftover food from the party and watching movies together.

Burt and Carole called to wish them a happy new year and to finalize their plans for the upcoming weekend. Carole let them know that they'd be staying in a different location and this time there were three bedrooms and they wondered if Sam wanted to come as well. They mentioned the slight possibility of Finn going with them rather than staying in Lima alone. He had come back from his great aunt's house on Christmas Eve evening and had been in Lima for the past week.

Sam decided that he would go if he could get excused from work on Monday. His college English class that he was enrolled in wasn't going to start for another week or two and it was the beginning of the semester so there weren't many assignments due since they were just getting started on projects. Plus, he'd never been to DC and it sounded like fun.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Since Kurt didn't have his typical school schedule, he convinced Joe to let him come in on Friday and work 7-12 like he usually did on Saturdays, plus the shift he had been scheduled to work from 12-6. It would be a very long work day for him, but it would allow the three of them to get to DC late Friday night, rather than at dinner time on Saturday, giving them nearly a whole extra day to spend with his parents.

Sam and Sebastian had packed the car and had already eaten when Kurt came in the door. He got ready quickly and grabbed the food they had made for him and they headed off to DC. They arrived at close to 1:30 in the morning. Carole let them in and they all headed off to sleep right away.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

They spent Saturday being tourists. Kurt, Sam, Sebastian and Carole managed to convince reluctant Burt and Finn to brave the National Gallery of Art. They enjoyed it more than they thought they would, but they spent a lot of the time completely clueless as to what Sebastian, Kurt and Sam were talking about. They chose the National Air and Space Museum as their second venue for the day since it appealed to everyone and it stayed open quite a bit later than the art gallery.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o

Burt dropped Kurt and Finn off at the townhouse while the rest of them went out to order pizzas to bring home. It was Carole's idea.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Kurt asked.

"Well, honestly, I'm not even sure. I don't really know what I've done or did, but Mom says that I need to talk to you about why you don't want to come to Lima anymore."

"Oh."

"And she said there's some stuff we need to work out because we're part of the same family."

"Okay."

"So, I know about the bullying, but since you don't have to see those people anymore at school, why don't you want to come to Lima for holidays and stuff?"

"I'm just not comfortable there, at all. When I went back to pick up my stuff to move, I tried to go eat tacos and Azimio and his pals were at Taco Casa. They aren't going to suddenly decide to stop harassing me. Their opinions haven't changed since they graduated. If anything, they probably feel more free to harass me than before because since they're 'adults' now, no one can threaten them with suspension or being grounded or something."

"Okay."

"Finn, no one wants me there except our parents. Noah is okay with me now, but everyone else who was even reasonably decent to me is gone."

"I get that. But Mom said you don't even want to come home for holidays. I mean like now, I had to come to DC and so did they. You didn't even come home for Christmas."

"I had to work an 11-hour shift yesterday and I'll have to work a really long shift another day next week just to be here for a few days. I work every day of the week except Sunday. It's hard to just get days off. It's a 10-hour drive each way. That means in four days, I'd spend two driving all day and two days at the house. DC is a 7-hour drive. We drove here last night after I got off from work. Well Sam and Sebastian drove - I was too tired after getting up at 6:00 and working 11 hours. Plus, I traded working every school break to get a long vacation this summer so I can go back to France with Sebastian."

"So, you'd rather spend time with him than with your family?"

"Other than my dad, the rest of my family lives in France. You do know that, right?"

Finn looked confused.

"And Sebastian IS my family, Finn. We're getting married."

"What?"

"It's true. I asked him to marry me. We're getting married in June."

"Guys can't marry other guys."

"Not in Ohio, but they can where I live now."

"I know you're in Connecticut. You don't have to hide saying the state anymore. Rachel told me when I confronted her that night."

"Okay. Well, in Connecticut same sex marriage is legal."

"If you asked him, why are you wearing a ring? And I guess I would have thought he would have asked you."

"This. This is what we need to talk about. I'm going to ask you a question. I want you to answer honestly."

"Okay."

"Am I a man?"

"Um, yeah."

"So, why did you think that if I ever got engaged that someone would ask me and I wouldn't be the one to ask someone?"

"Umm... I don't really know. It just seems like that's how it would be?"

"I have another question for you, what makes me less of a man than you? You've never seen me naked, so it can't be one of those macho 'mine is bigger than yours' tests of manliness. You don't really have much more facial hair than I do. Body hair, same thing. You can't bench press your own weight or anything. You're not next in line for the cover of a muscle magazine. You're not a 'stud' like Puck with a list of conquests that would fill a whole sheet of paper. So, what makes you more of a man than me?"

Finn sat there thinking.

"I can rebuild a car. I can repair a leaky sink. I can repair drywall, paint, do basic carpentry. I know the rules to all of the major manly sports like football, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc. I can even sing as low as you can."

Finn still just sat there.

"Finn. An answer. What makes me less of a man than you?"

"Nothing, I guess."

"So, why don't you treat me like you treat Sam?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for one, you never push me, tackle me, tease me, fight with me or steal food from me or anything AND when you thought you were going to have to share a room with me, you freaked out. When Sam came back to Lima and shared your room for a few days, it was all fun and 'bro time'."

"I don't know. I guess because he's straight and we're friends."

"Exactly. You've hit the issue exactly. You treat me like a girl. The other issue is that you don't consider me to be your friend. We might be stepbrothers and family now, but we aren't friends. You sang at our parents wedding, a weird song I might add, but the sentiment was nice - that I didn't need to change. I waited for that to be true. I waited for you to accept me - for us to become friends. It never happened. I did everything I could to be nice to you, to get you to like me, but none of it helped. What have I honestly done to you? I mean, Puck lied to you and cheated with your girlfriend and got her pregnant and you are friends with him. I've never done anything to you like that. I mean, having a 'puppy love', 'hero worship' crush on you because you were the nicest of all of the jocks hardly qualifies as a life-long reason to dislike me."

Finn was thinking.

"You still haven't answered about what makes me less manly."

"I don't know. I think it's just that you like girly stuff. And you like guys. You were friends with the girls and not any of the guys."

"I was friends with the girls because they didn't shove me into lockers and throw me into dumpsters. They accepted me and the guys never did."

"You don't do any guy stuff."

"Like what?"

"Video games."

"Ask Sam when he gets back."

"Sports."

"Self-preservation. Seriously, even when I won the football team its only game that year, the jocks didn't lay off the bullying. Being trapped in a room with people who would like the beat the gay out of me isn't really fun, even if I am good at sports. Again, ask Sam if I'm any good at sports."

Finn just sat there.

"All I hear coming out of your mouth is prejudice and assumptions. You've been my stepbrother for 14 months. We've known each other for years. I'm not a girl. I was never a girl. I never wanted to be a girl. I am a man. A gay man. A gay man that is engaged to another gay man."

"I get it."

"Are you attracted to every girl you see?"

"No."

"What about the first girl you had a crush on? Do you still want to date her?"

"Umm. I don't even remember who my first crush was."

"Exactly my point. I do not - in any way - think of you that way. To be honest, I didn't even think of you THAT way when I had my 'puppy love' crush on you. The first person I ever thought of THAT way wasn't you. Why do you think that gay guys want to be sexually involved with every man they meet? That doesn't make any sense to me."

"I don't know."

"And even if a gay guy did want to be sexually involved with every man that they met, what makes you think that a gay man would FORCE himself on anyone?"

"I don't know."

"Well, maybe that's where you need to start. Why are gay men such a threat to straight men? We don't want to sleep with the women you like. What is scary about us?"

"I don't know."

"Blaine's gay. He doesn't play video games. He boxes and that's the extent of his sporting skills. Other than that he only likes to watch sport events. Why was Blaine a guy?"

"I don't know."

"There seems to be a lot you don't know," Kurt said sarcastically. "And to be honest, I am sick of being the one to inform you. I'm not sure how it became my job to make sure that you aren't ignorant."

"Wow, harsh much?"

"Actually no. You're the one with the huge lack of knowledge. You're the one that treats me like I have a problem. I'm not the one walking around with a huge gap in my knowledge saying 'I don't know' to a lot of stuff. I know you went to your great aunt's to think about a lot of stuff. I'm hoping that you did. But obviously, you didn't think about these things. My suggestion is that you bring up these issues with Dr. Morris and have her help you figure this stuff out."

"That's a good idea."

"Listen. I've done everything I can think of to become friends with you. I know that not everyone is friends with everyone else. You're not really friends with Mike and he's not gay. I'm not implying that you're not friends with me solely because I'm gay. Maybe we're just not ever going to be friends. And I think there may come a day when we just have to admit to each other and ourselves that we're just going to be two guys whose single parents married each other when we were in high school. Our parents love each other, but that doesn't mean that you will ever love me like a brother and I can live with that. But if that's where we find ourselves, I don't want you acting like it has nothing to do with you and that it's all on me. As far as I see, the ball is in your court. I'm not going to keep putting myself out there trying to build some friendship bridge between us that you don't want."

"Okay."

"Really? Do you really get it? I'd like us to be friends, but I can accept the fact that you may not feel the same way. And I can live with that. But I want you to take ownership of that decision. You can choose for us to remain acquaintances or you can examine your own issues with why you've iced me out for the last few years."

"No, I do get it. You're right. I've not done anything to be friends with you. I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask. I am not angry. I just want you to understand that. I'm not going to bully you into being my friend because our parents are married. We're both adults now. You can have a good relationship with them and I can have a good relationship with them without us being close friends."

"So, you seriously wouldn't hold it against me if we don't become close friends?"

"Nope. I have friends, Finn. I have Sebastian and Sam. I have..." he paused to count, "five other male friends and about the same number female friends in Connecticut."

"So, no one bullies you now?"

"Nope. And I was serious. I really won't be back in Lima. That's just not happening. I like where I live and I like being in Paris. I won't be returning to Lima."

"Not even for a reunion?"

"I can't think why anyone would want me to come to a reunion anyway, but probably not."

"So, you're not coming to Mr. Schue's wedding next month?"

"Nope. Why would I? He and I aren't friends. He was the Glee director. He was never anything personal to me."

"Oh. He was always really great. I thought you'd want to go."

"You're seriously as self-centered as Rachel."

"What?"

"Finn - Mr. Schue never did anything for me. He sent me to Figgins office for disciplinary reasons because I got upset ONCE when he wouldn't listen to us about Britney Spears. How many times did Rachel argue with him or how many times was Santana's behavior unacceptable? You decked Puck and he didn't send you to the office. I made a single comment about him being 'uptight' and he sent me to the office. I got detention for that."

"Oh."

"He did nothing to defend me. He could have asked for the senior election to be done over because Rachel stuffed the ballot boxes. I was disqualified because she did something. How does that make sense?"

"I guess it doesn't."

"Think of the people in Glee that graduated. Who is studying music?"

"Umm..." He thought for a minute. "Just you, I guess."

"That's right. Just me. Just me that got a full scholarship to college to study music. How many times was I featured in competition?"

Finn was thinking.

"I'll save you the time. Once. I had a few lines in 'ABC' last fall at sectionals. Think about this, Finn. You were featured more in the first two minutes you were on stage during our very first Sectionals competition back in sophomore year than I have been in the entirety of all of our competitions."

"I guess I never thought about it."

"See, we're back to what you don't know. Mr. Schue walked right by the dumpster that the jocks tossed me into repeatedly sophomore year. He just walked on by. You were there. He never paid one bit of attention. When things got really bad junior year, he saw me get locker slammed hard enough to get knocked to the floor and he offered me a dixie cup of water and told me that he thought I was 'letting it get to me.'"

"Oh."

"And that little tiny bit of caring, the dixie cup of water, was more than anyone else in the school besides Coach Sylvester did for me, ever."

"I get it. You won't be there."

"Right. And I'm not interested in seeing Blaine at all ever again and I have to assume that he'll be at the wedding since he's probably still in New Directions and they'll be performing at the wedding."

"Actually, I don't know where Blaine is. He hasn't been at any of the rehearsals I've been to."

"Doesn't matter. I won't be going. Plus, the wedding is on a Thursday. Who has a wedding on a Thursday if they want students to attend? I'd have to miss three days of school in addition to getting four days off from work. Not happening."

"Got it."

"Look, if you come up with something that you want to discuss with me after you've talked about this stuff with Dr. Morris, just let me know. I'm not unwilling to work things out. You've just not given me anything to work with."

Just then, the front door opened and everyone else was back. Sam was carrying a stack of pizza boxes.

"Finn, ask Sam what I told you to ask him."

"Umm. Oh, yeah. Is Kurt any good at video games?"

"Yeah, dude. He's every bit as good as Artie and Puck, why?"

"How about sports?"

"Well, he was kicker when you were on the team. I've seen the videos. You were there."

"Yeah, but other sports. Being the kicker's like just one thing."

"Oh, what like basketball?"

"Yeah."

Sam walked through to the dining room and put the pizza boxes on the table.

"He plays pick up games at the park with me and my friends from school sometimes. He's as good as any of the other guys, why?"

"Why did you not want to play then?" Finn asked Kurt. "Why did you always try to stay on the bench as the back up and practically avoid playing?"

"Think hard, Finn," Sam intervened. "Did any of those guys want him there?"

"I don't know. I never thought about it."

Everyone moved to the table to eat.

"What would have happened if he played? Do you think the other guys would have played fair? Passed the ball to him?" Sam asked.

"I don't know."

"Finn. We're back to where we started. The list of things you don't know is longer than Puck's list of conquests."

"Kurt," Burt started to interrupt.

Sebastian moved his chair closer to Kurt's side and wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist.

Carole spoke up, "Let them be. They need to work this out."

Burt took a slice of pizza and remained silent.

"They didn't want me there. They had no qualms about tossing me in the dumpster. Why would they follow the rules of the game and let me play fairly? Do you really think that getting a 'foul' called on them would have been enough of a deterrent to keep them from shoving me or knocking me down on purpose? They did that every day in the hallways. Why would the basketball court be any different? Self-preservation, Finn. The same reason I didn't fight back."

"Oh."

"I chose to not play if at all possible. I chose not to fight back. I didn't want to die, Finn. Letting you and your jock friends toss me into the dumpster at school gave them enough of a high and a position as 'top dogs' that they felt enough superior to not to resort to something worse. It was better to be tossed in the school dumpster and have to change my clothes than to have my dad ID my body from the alley dumpster somewhere my bullies decided to dump my corpse for refusing to take my place at the bottom of the heap socially."

"It was never fun and games for him, Finn," Sam said.

"I get that," Finn said.

"Finn, look. What happened happened. High school is over. You have a lot of things to figure out for yourself. You spent most of your life doing what other people wanted you to. You were popular. The only time you really lost that was when Karofsky came after you and you were so upset about losing your place at the top of the social ladder that you and Quinn went to see Miss Pillsbury. If I remember right, you started wearing sunglasses in school."

"How did you know about us seeing Miss Pillsbury?"

"Her office wall is made of glass, Finn. Anyone who walked past could see you in there talking to her."

"Oh, yeah."

"I know you're working through things. I wish you the best in that. I hope you find yourself in your search. You have my phone number if you ever want to talk. But for the rest of our time here in DC, I'd rather just focus on whatever we're doing this weekend."

Carole changed the subject and everyone ate and talked about where they were going to go the next day.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sunday morning, Kurt and Sebastian woke up first. They had gone to bed early, not long after they had finished eating. He and Sebastian skipped out on the action movie that everyone else watched together.

" _Good morning, gorgeous,_ " Sebastian said as Kurt opened his eyes.

" _Don't you ever get bored waking up first and just lying there?_ "

" _Nope. You, mon ange, are never boring._ " He scooted closer to Kurt and kissed him. " _So, shall we get our morning snuggle in and then go make breakfast for everyone?_ "

" _Sounds like a plan._ "

" _Finn is really clueless, isn't he?_ "

" _I told you. I tried to explain to you how everyone just loves his sincerity and takes his actions as not meant to harm anyone. I've always wondered how he could be so clueless and keep himself at the top of the heap. It's always been a toss up in my mind between absolute cluelessness and incredible mastermind._ "

" _I can see that. He's got the clueless role down pat. That's for sure._ "

" _But I'm done with clueless Finn. It's time for him to own his life choices. I'm not going to let him off the hook anymore. He's only a few months younger than I am. He's just a little older than you are. He's not 12 anymore._ "

" _Cute and clueless doesn't really work for grown men._ "

" _Nope. And 'I don't know' is just a cop out for 'I didn't take the time to think about it or learn anything about that topic._ '"

Sebastian kissed Kurt and pulled him closer. " _I know you were uncomfortable with sleeping without pajamas, but how about we lose the shirts just for a bit before we get up?_ "

Kurt pulled his off. " _Better?_ "

" _Much._ " Sebastian took his off as well. " _Can I hold you?_ "

" _Always._ " Kurt turned over and Sebastian scooted up behind him.

" _Snuggling is the best part of my day._ "

" _Mine too._ "

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

After breakfast, they all headed out to the Spy Museum. It was the perfect place for a group of people with such different interests. Everyone had a good time. Kurt felt Finn's eyes on him frequently. He and Sebastian weren't being overly affectionate - just small things - hand touching, arms around each other's waist, touching the middle of the lower back. He didn't hold himself back from the amount of touching that he and Sam did on a regular basis - taking Sam by the hand and leading him to something he wanted to show him, jumping on him in the parking lot, pushing him to get him to go faster, nudging him with his shoulder to get his attention. They had behaved the same way the day before, but Finn was watching them more closely it seemed.

They went back to the townhouse after the stopped and ate dinner. They decided to end their evening with the most recent Bond movie, _Quantum of Solace_ , on Netflix. The living room had an oversized sectional couch that sat facing a large TV hung over a corner fireplace. Burt and Carole sat next to each other on the right end of the couch with their feet propped up on the coffee table on pillows. Sebastian took the corner and stretched his legs out to the left. Kurt sat right next to Sebastian with his legs extended as well. Sam sat next to Kurt. Finn took the left end of the couch down a cushion from where Sebastian and Kurt's feet were. He also propped his feet up on the coffee table.

It wasn't long before Sam was lying on his side curled up with his head in Kurt's lap and Kurt was stroking his hair while Sebastian was leaned up against him and he had his left arm wrapped around Sebastian holding him close, occasionally kissing Sebastian's hair gently.

Kurt noticed Finn watching him again. He tried to focus on the movie, but being watched was distracting. The movie ended and Burt excused himself to go to sleep since he had meetings early the next morning.

"Finn, you've been watching me all day," Kurt said. "Why?"

"I just don't get it," he stated. "Why do you go around behaving like that? People at the museum today probably think you're in a 3-way relationship. You kept hanging all over Sam, and during the movie, you were petting his hair, like he's your boyfriend."

"Why does what I do with Sam make any difference to you? Sam could have chosen to sit anywhere he wanted to. I didn't force him to sit next to me or to lay his head on my lap. Why is this such a big deal to you?"

"I don't know."

"Here we go again with the 'I don't knows.'" Kurt said in frustration. "Is there something you want to ask me? Or Sam?"

"Why do you let him touch you like that?" Finn directed at Sam.

"Because I like it. It feels good. Why else would I let someone touch me?" Sam retorted.

"Doesn't it make you jealous, Sebastian?" Finn asked.

"No. Why would it?" Sebastian added.

"He's touching another guy."

"And?" Sebastian asked.

"And he's your boyfriend, fiancé, whatever."

"Finn, who else have you seen snuggled up on me like this?" Kurt asked.

"Well, Tina and Brittany."

"Did that bother you?"

"No."

"Think about that. Why is it okay for me to touch them and not touch Sam?"

"Yeah, why should only the girls get snuggles?" Sam asked.

"You're seriously telling me that Sebastian doesn't care at all that Sam is... is snuggling Kurt?"

"Nope, not a bit," Sebastian repeated.

"Well, it makes Sam look really gay."

"Why do you care?" Sam asked. "It's my life. If people think I'm gay, I don't care. If people think I'm in some sort of 3-way with the two of them, why do you care?"

"I don't know."

"Ask your mom if she's seen us like this before."

He looked at Carole. "Have you?"

"Sure. Plenty of times."

"And that didn't bother you?"

"Why would it? Finn, they're not doing anything wrong. I've seen them the other way too. Why does this upset you so much?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, we'll I've had enough 'I don't knows' for this weekend. Unless I'm asking you to participate, Finn, just mind your own business. Figure out your issues. The three of us are fine. I love Sebastian. He's my fiancé. We are getting married in June. Sam is my best friend. He can snuggle me or Sebastian if he wants to. We are not afraid of physical contact. We are not going to molest Sam. Sam is in no danger of being turned gay because one of us touches him. Grow up, Finn."

"I agree, Finn. You have no idea what it's like to be me. You've gone to school with the same people your whole life. I'm attending my fourth high school. Besides going home random weekends last spring, I've spent exactly four weeks with my family in the last 12 months. Do you know how lonely that is? Starting over again. How would you feel with no girlfriend, no family around for 11 out of the last 12 months? Kurt is my family now and so is Sebastian. They are the family I've chosen for myself. I may not have been born as Kurt's brother, but he's my brother now. Him touching me isn't sexual. I don't know what makes you continue to think that it is after you've been told so many times that it's not. I don't like guys that way. And even if I did, that wouldn't automatically make Kurt or Sebastian touching me sexual somehow. I've tried to stay out of this between the two of you, but I'm speaking my mind this time. Grow up, Finn."

"I'm going to go to bed," Finn said and stood up and went upstairs.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt spoke to Carole. "Now you see why I hid my friendship with Sam. You see why when Finn was home, we sat with space between us. Why I wouldn't go places in town with Sam. Toward the end of the school year, I let things slip. We left school together at lunch a couple of times. I let him stay in my hotel room that one night. And things crashed and burned fast. This attitude that everything I do in regards to another male is wrong is just so engrained in everyone. It's nuts. This is why I won't go back."

"I understand, sweetie."

"We may just be at an impasse. Dad may want to change his mind about acceptable behavior. If Dad wants to ban all PDA in his home and in his presence, then we will all comply with his wishes. But only if the rules apply equally to Finn, should he get another girlfriend."

"I understand. So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" she asked.

"Well, I thought the five of us would do something together, but if Finn is so bothered by my behavior, we can do whatever you think is best. I just don't want another day of stress. Finn watched me all day. It's nerve wracking."

"From now on, we won't bring Finn with us on weekends when you're coming to visit, unless he somehow changes his mind about he feels. But for tomorrow, I'm going to to go with the three of you and Finn can either join us or not. He's going to be here until we all fly out on Thursday evening. So, I can do things with him for three days after you three leave. So, you pick a destination and we'll go there, with or without Finn."

"Alright. We'll tell you at breakfast what we've chosen." Kurt got up and sat next to Carole and put his hand on her knee. "I'm sorry it's turned out this way. I had hoped for a different outcome."

"I know, sweetie. I'll see you three in the morning."

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They spent the majority of the next day at the National Museum of Natural History. Finn decided that he didn't want to miss out on the museum and went along with them. Sam decided to resume the role he had filled in Lima by spending the day with Finn rather than with Kurt and Sebastian.

"This is like the museum on Chicago and New York only even cooler," Sam said as they walked in the door. The five of them toured the museum and visited the same exhibit areas, but Sam started each room by heading the opposite direction as Kurt. That way Kurt and Sebastian could spend time with Carole alone since this trip was more or less a replacement for them not spending Christmas with Kurt's parents.

They ate lunch in the museum, opting to save time rather than money. They left the museum mid-afternoon to head back to the townhouse so that the three guys could make it back to Connecticut in time to get a decent night's sleep because Kurt had to work the next morning. They said their goodbyes and Carole hugged each of them and headed out for the nearly 7-hour drive back.

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Sebastian took up writing again during Kurt's Winter Term. Kurt spent many hours researching and writing the long papers that were required for the course. He also still worked more than his usual number of hours during the first week of the term. Kurt was actually glad to return to his crazy regular spring semester courses that included singing and dancing. He had definitely done enough paper writing to last him a long time. Sebastian was glad for his courses to start as well.

At the end of January, Kurt and Sebastian started their search for a house in earnest. They interviewed a few realtors and chose one they really liked. He was really knowledgeable about the areas of town and he was willing to work with them and all of their specific requests.

Kurt was in a stagecraft course during the spring semester and one part of his requirements was to work on the spring musical production. First-year students were never cast in the productions, but were required to work in them in some capacity. Kurt found that he really enjoyed the backstage work more than he thought he would.

Sebastian's classes were interesting to him and he enjoyed them. But the winter passed slowly for him. He didn't enjoy the drive to New Haven that he had to make three days a week. Commuting in the cold and the snow was starting to wear on him. Spending two days alone in the apartment didn't help much either. He was glad for the time to get all of his schoolwork completed quickly, but he didn't like so much extra time on his hands.

A few weeks into the semester, he remembered Kurt's suggestion of taking their favorite recipes and turning them into a book they could use easily. That became his project for a few weeks and gave him something to do. He translated the ones that weren't in English, chose a font, created a template - making half-sheet sized recipe cards. He printed them out on cardstock like Kurt had suggested. He bought a binder that held half-size sheets of paper and bought the plastic sleeves for it. He even bought the tab dividers and organized the recipes by type. He slipped the recipes into the sleeves as he completed them and within a few weeks, he had a binder cookbook for them to use. He kept his project a secret until he was ready to give it to Kurt, which he did on their 8th month-iversary.

Sam loved school. The art classes were really enjoyable and he was taking one class at the university that was on the same campus as his high school. His resource teacher arranged for him to take his required first year college English class. She helped him arrange for a note taker and to learn how to focus his excellent listening skills to help him succeed in the course. He was still given time and a half to complete written exams and he was allowed to type his answers using a laptop that was not able to connect to the internet. He was surprised by how well he did compared to when he was required to write out his essays by hand. He found that he could actually complete the written parts of his exams in the allotted time and actually say something decent in what he wrote. He knew that his life would never revolve around being a writer, but he was feeling a lot more confident about his ability to potentially succeed in college with the support he got from Mrs. Dixon and the college itself.

They still went to the karaoke place every Saturday night. Jeff, Nick, and Thad came to visit and spent the weekend again once in late January.

Early in February, Carole called and told Kurt that Finn had taken the position in AmeriCorps that he had applied for back in the fall. Kurt was honestly glad that Finn had chosen that over going into the military since the AmeriCorps commitment was only 10 months, not four years. If Finn decided that he hated it, his term would end fairly quickly. Finn would be leaving the weekend after Mr. Schue's and Miss Pillsbury's wedding. Kurt was surprised to find out that Finn was Mr. Schue's best man. Some things would just never make sense.

A couple of weeks later, on the evening of the wedding, Carole called and told Kurt that Blaine had not been at the wedding. She nosed around and got Tina to tell her that Blaine's parents had moved to Ft. Wayne and Blaine was at a boarding school in Indiana. She said that Tina didn't really know anything else about it and that she had heard the information from Rachel.

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Lisette came to stay for five days mid-February after Fashion Week in New York. She enjoyed her stay-at-home vacation again, spending most of her time reading and relaxing after a hectic ten days in New York. She brought back a bunch of samples of all sorts of body products and make up. She showed everyone the photos she took and Kurt had fun snarking about some of the ridiculous outfits while fawning over the ones he really liked. Sebastian loved watching Kurt and his tirades about someone's shoes and their complete lack of taste. It always made him smile to see Kurt get so worked up over the whole thing. He could see how much it amused his mom as well. He caught her winking at him and figured out that she had intentionally taken some of the photos just to rile Kurt up.

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After the car service picked Lisette up to take her back to New York for her return flight back to Paris, Sebastian prepared a belated Valentine's Day dinner for Kurt since they had been busy on Valentine's Day getting the apartment and waiting for Lisette to arrive.

Sebastian prepared a tray of crudités, canapés, and some Spanish tapas and stored them in the fridge. He made a small casserole, put it in the oven for Sam to eat when he got home and left a note on the kitchen table telling Sam where his dinner was.

When Kurt came in and headed to the shower, Sebastian grabbed the battery operated candles, the picnic blanket and the tray of food and put them on the floor in their bedroom, turned the lights off, turned the little heater on near the picnic blanket, turned on some music and then joined Kurt.

When they came out of the bathroom, Kurt was met with the romantic, candle lit dinner that Sebastian had set up for them.

He squealed and practically jumped on Sebastian. "It's fantastic. I love it." He pulled Sebastian over to the picnic and they fed each other the finger foods. "These are really good. Thank you. You spoil me."

"You're so much fun to spoil," Sebastian laughed and kissed him.

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"My contribution to our Valentine's Day festivities is going to require another shower. I just want to make sure that you're okay with that before I get started," Kurt said.

"Sounds fine to me. The first shower was quite quick and purely functional. The second shower can be more relaxing." He winked at Kurt and kissed him.

"Put this other picnic blanket on the bed please." Kurt handed Sebastian a folded picnic blanket he pulled out of the closet.

Sebastian covered the bed with it. "Now what?" he asked.

"Just lie down in the middle of the bed and close your eyes." Kurt moved the mini battery operated candles to the side tables and put the empty tray on his desk and the other picnic blanket in the laundry basket. He grabbed his lotion bottle. He pulled a small container out of the closet, took the lid off and placed it on the bed, near Sebastian and put the lotion on his side table.

"What is that?"

"You'll find out. Do you remember ages ago when I said I had other ideas besides drawing on you to play Connect the Dots?"

"Yes. You wouldn't tell me what they were."

"Well, this is one of my other ideas. I won't do anything unless you say it's okay though. Open your eyes."

"Is that frosting in a piping bag?"

"It is."

"Oh." was followed by riotous laughter. "Do it."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Do I get to draw something on you even though you don't have any dots to connect?"

"I don't see why not," Kurt laughed. "I'm like the blank page that stares back at you during an essay test when you can't think of anything to write," he teased.

"I'm sure I can think of something," he said in a sultry voice.

"I'm sure you can," Kurt laughed. "Are you ready?"

"Do it."

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"Any other crazy surprises for me this evening?" Sebastian asked once they stepped back into the bedroom after their long shower.

"Well, the only other thing I had planned was to give you a massage if you want one. Did you have anything else in mind?"

"Dancing with you."

"Well, shall we dance then?" Kurt held out his hand and Sebastian took it. It was still quite warm in the room from small heater being on. They slow danced through several songs.

Kurt gave Sebastian a massage, and then they switched. Sebastian turned the "candles" off and got in bed. As soon as he was in the bed, Kurt reverted to his invertebrate octopus form and wrapped himself all around Sebastian and they kissed and snuggled.

"I love you so much. This was an awesome idea. We should do this every Valentine's Day. I don't need or want expensive gifts or meals. I just want you." Kurt kissed him.

"I agree. Indoor Valentine's Day picnics are amazing. I love you too."


	31. Chapter 31

By the beginning of March, everyone was glad that spring was on its way. The lengthening days and the warmer temperatures began to brighten their waning enthusiasm. The spring musical production was set to take place mid-March, the week before Kurt's Spring Break, which happened to be the first week of Sebastian's spring break, so he was home when Kurt was scurrying around working on projects for the production. Monday afternoon Kurt came rushing in from work with a cape that was in bad shape with a long section of it ripped and fraying.

"I have to fix this. Carrie picked it up from the dry cleaners this morning and it's a disaster. The ripped section is right on the front in plain view."

Kurt put the cape on his chair and hurried to the shower. He was back ten minutes later. "Will you put it on so I can see what I might be able to do to make it usable?"

"Sure," Sebastian said.

He put it on and stood still while Kurt walked around him several times looking at the cape and considering his options. Kurt got out a package of safety pins and started pinning the front section where the tear was. Then he pinned the other side the same way. He stepped back and walked around Sebastian a couple of times again. He repositioned the safety pins a few times and examined the outcome each time. "I'll have to take the brocade trim off and refit it once I've put the seam down each front panel," he said as he walked around one more time. "Actually that's all one piece. I'll have to take it off starting at the new seam and then sew it completely back on starting from that point. I have to get started. Thank you."

"So, I take it that you'll be sewing all evening?" Sebastian asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry." he kissed Sebastian gently as he took the cape back off and put it back on his chair. He turned around and hugged him. "Can you and Sam make dinner without me? This cape has to be done tonight. Tomorrow is the dress rehearsal. Carrie swore that it was fine when she took all of the costumes to the dry cleaners last week, but when she brought everything in this morning, the cape had that huge gaping slashed area on the front."

"It's fine." Sebastian held him close. "Really, it's fine. You work your magic on the cape and Sam and I will make dinner. Not a big deal." Sebastian kissed him and left him to work on the cape.

Kurt got his sewing machine out and got everything set up. He swept the floor and laid the cape out on the floor to take the brocade trim off and pin the cape with straight pins instead of safety pins. He had just about gotten the trim off when Sebastian came in and told him that dinner was ready. He went ahead and finished removing the trim before he got up to go eat. He returned and sewed matching seams down the front panels of each side and then tightly zigzag stitched the edge of the seam to keep it from fraying. He knew that if he ever pursued design and sewing, he would need to get a serger.

Sebastian had come back into the room and read in bed after he and Sam had cleaned up and packed lunches. Once the seams were done, Kurt moved on to getting the brocade trim back on the cape neatly.

Once Kurt had gotten the trim back on, he said "Sebastian?"

He looked up from his book. "Yes, mon ange?"

"Will you put it back on so I can make sure it still hangs okay?"

"Sure." Sebastian laid his book down and put the cape back on and Kurt examined the cape. Sebastian looked in the mirrors. "I think it looks good. I don't think anyone will have any idea that you did anything to it."

"That's sort of the frustrating part about this type of work, you know. If you're any good at it no one notices what you've done."

Sebastian laughed. "I suppose you're right. The best repairs are the ones that no one ever notices. But really it looks good. You did a good job." He let Kurt take the cape back off of him.

"Thanks. I'm going to put all of this stuff away and get to my reading. Will you stay and read with me?" Kurt asked as he folded the cape neatly and hung it over the back of his desk chair.

"Of course. I'll just go shower while you clean this stuff up and then we can read and go to sleep whenever you've finished your assigned reading."

Kurt kissed him on his way to the bathroom.

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The next evening was the first dress rehearsal for the musical. Kurt arrived with the repaired cape. His professor was there overseeing all of the students in the class. She had seen the state the cape had been in the day before and when she saw Kurt putting it on the cast member, she walked over and took a look at his work.

She had the cast member step away from Kurt and turn slowly. "Kurt, you did a marvelous job on the cape. No one will know that there was ever anything wrong with it. Fantastic work. I'm giving you extra credit points for doing such a good job."

"Thank you, Professor Miller. I've done my fair share of costume designing and sewing, so it wasn't really that difficult to do."

"You're underplaying your skills, Kurt." She examined his stitching. "I can see that you took the time to keep the seams from fraying in the future and you didn't just cut the brocade trim and sew it into the seams you created. You took the time to take the trim off and put it back on properly. That took a lot of extra effort."

"If I had cut the trim, it would have broken the flow of the hem of the cape and it would have been noticeable from the audience."

"The fact that you know that shows a level of knowledge most students your age do not possess. Please come and see me about your placement for the fall."

"Yes, Professor Miller. I'll make an appointment."

She walked away to take a look at what her other students were working on.

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"Good morning, Kurt. Thank you for coming in to see me."

"Good morning." Kurt sat in the chair across from Professor Miller.

"Your work in the stagecraft course this semester and the wardrobe class last semester are far above introductory skill level. You have a lot of talent and skills that could be honed for your benefit in the future should you decide to pursue higher education beyond your B.F.A. here."

"Thank you."

"I have reviewed your application from last fall and I would like you to make an appointment with Professor Stockard as soon as possible for him to evaluate your keyboard skills. You didn't list any formal piano lessons on your application, but I've heard you play before. So, I assume you either left off your training by accident or you are self-taught. Either way, I don't see the two required keyboard classes that are part of your curriculum for next year to be of any benefit to you, but you'll need him to sign off on your skills. I'd like you to take a 2-credit independent study course with me both semesters. I'd like to oversee you and a couple of other students to hone your costume and design skills."

"I took piano lessons as a child, but it was so long ago that I didn't feel that I should list it on my application. I practiced on my own as I got older. I wouldn't consider myself to be a good pianist, but I'm okay I guess. I'll let Professor Stockard be the judge of whether I am good enough to not have to take the keyboarding classes. I'll make another appointment with you once I've been to see him. Thank you for considering me."

"When you come back to see me, I want you to bring me a digital portfolio of other work you've done. Do you do anything besides sew?"

"Well, I can do basic carpentry, welding, metal work, alterations and costume design. I make jewelry, mostly brooches, but I've made pendants and some other stuff too."

"The brooches that you wear frequently, the insects and airplanes, you made those yourself?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I see. Please bring a CD with photos of whatever you have with you when you come back to see me."

"I will. Thank you." Kurt stood and left. He went directly to Professor Stockard's office and made the first available appointment to see him that fit into his schedule, which turned out to be the very next afternoon.

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Kurt's follow up appointment with Professor Miller was on Friday, which was opening night, but she had cancelled her classes for the afternoon in order to be available to deal with any last minute issues in costuming for the musical.

"Thanks for coming in again, Kurt. If anyone comes rushing in for help with something, I'll have to step out for a few minutes to deal with it."

"I understand. I brought a CD, like you requested." He handed it to her.

She put it in her computer and started looking through the photos. "You were very young in some of these photos."

"I didn't really think to just photograph the outfit by itself. I just took pictures of myself in them in a mirror or had someone take a photo."

"No, it's fine. They wouldn't be suitable for a professional portfolio, but I did ask you to bring whatever you had. And since you weren't considering a degree in fashion design, I can see why just photos of yourself in the outfits were all that you thought about."

"You're right, though. I was 12 in that picture. I was always really into Halloween and costumes. I put on what my dad called my 'one-boy shows' as a young kid. I made costumes for all of the 'people' in my plays, meaning that I made myself several different costumes and changed in and out of them while putting on my plays. I'm sure it was quite boring to my dad, but he put up with it and always cheered me on."

"He sounds like a great guy."

"Yeah, he is. He's always been my number one fan. Mostly a fan club of one, but one was all I needed sometimes."

"I can imagine that the life of a young boy with an eye for fashion, singing and costuming wasn't all that pleasant in rural Ohio. I saw where you were from when I looked through your application information earlier this week."

"Well, you're right. It wasn't easy. But I survived and I'm here now."

"And Professor Stockard sent me an email passing you through the keyboarding courses." She continued to click through photos as she talked.

"These more recent photos of brooches - tell me about them."

"Well, they were a custom order for someone my soon-to-be mother-in-law knows." He told Professor Miller the story of how his bee brooch ended up in the issue of _Vogue Paris_ and the commissioned pieces he created.

"So, you have already done commissioned work and you have a brand name to do work under?"

"Yes."

"And you still doubt your own skill?"

"The years of unrelenting taunting aren't easily silenced in my mind."

"Well, they'll be drowned out eventually. I have no doubt."

Kurt just nodded and smiled politely.

"So, Kurt, are you interested in pursuing more training in costuming, designing and stagecraft with me next year as an independent study course? It will be a 2-credit course each semester, replacing the required keyboarding course you would have taken. So, it won't add to your course load overall. But I see from your transcripts that you are already quite advanced with credits for a first-year student. If I'm calculating this correctly, you will have junior standing by the end of this semester."

"That's correct. I took a lot of AP classes in high school and my goal is to actually graduate in three years and start working on my Master's degree."

"You're a very focused young man."

Kurt nodded in agreement. "To answer your question - yes, I would like to study design with you next year."

"Good. I look forward to it. I'll create the course online and let you know the course number so you can register for it during registration for your fall classes."

"Thank you." Kurt stood to leave.

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It wasn't until the Sunday after the musical that Kurt had time to sit down and tell Sebastian about his meetings the previous week. Sebastian was really glad for him to get the opportunity to do what he loved. He and Lisette still thought Kurt would end up designing costumes in the future and this professor seeing Kurt's talent was just the beginning from Sebastian's point of view.

The next week was spring break for Sebastian and Kurt. Sam didn't have spring break the same week that they did and Kurt still had to work, but they still had a lot of fun spending time together. They hadn't had much time together with Kurt working on the musical in the evenings for a couple of weeks in addition to his classes and work. They were glad for the break.

Jeff, Nick, and Thad all had spring break the same week, and Sebastian had secretly made plans with them for the last Saturday and Sunday. He knew Kurt couldn't get off to go anywhere, but he still wanted to have a little fun. He let Sam in on the plan. Once Kurt got off work and showered, they got him to get in Sebastian's car, which they had already packed while Kurt was at work. Sebastian drove to Boston and Thad met them there. They split a hotel room Saturday night.

Sebastian got Kurt up before dawn on Sunday and drove them out to the beach to watch the sunrise. It was way too cold to get in the water, but Sebastian put a towel out on the beach and Kurt sat down and Sebastian sat and wrapped himself around Kurt, holding him close. They huddled close, bundled in their winter coats and boots and waited for the sunrise. Kurt remembered telling Sebastian that he wanted to do this together back when they were in Paris. He leaned back and kissed Sebastian. They took a few photos, but mostly just enjoyed the experience of being there together. They got back to the hotel before everyone else woke up. The six of them enjoyed their day in Boston. They went to a few historical sites and to the harbor. Sam took quite a few photos using Kurt's camera. For a late winter, almost spring day, it was reasonably sunny. They went out for seafood together before Sam, Kurt and Sebastian headed back to Hartford.

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It was the end of March and their realtor had been showing them houses since early February. He found another one that seemed like it might be a good fit. They scheduled a showing.

"This neighborhood looks nice," Kurt said as Sebastian was driving to the house to look at it.

"There it is. I like the front porch with the swing on it.""

"The realtor's already here." Sebastian parked the car and they got out and went inside.

"This place has an unusual layout and still needs some work, but it's in your price range and I thought it might be worth looking at," Gary said as he unlocked the door to go inside.

"We'll give it a chance," Kurt said.

The front door opened to the left, on the left side of the living room. To the right of the door was a double window. Behind the door was the coat closet. The living room, kitchen and dining area was actually one large room.

The long wall to the right had two doors slightly farther down than the center of the wall. The first door open into what had previously been the garage, but was now a master bedroom suite.

The door to the master suite opened to the left against a wall that extended most of the way to the other wall. The space at the end was a short hallway that had two doors. The one to the left opened into the walk-in closet and the one at the end opened into the bathroom. The master suite had one window that faced the front and one that faced the side yard.

The second door was a pocket door that slid to the left, which led into the combo furnace/AC, water heater, laundry room and pantry area.

The refrigerator stood to the left of the pocket door. The kitchen cabinets started to the left of the fridge and went to the end of the wall forming a corner with more cabinets along the back wall, with a window near the center over the top of the sink. The stove was farther to the left. A short wall with a sliding patio door formed the third wall to the kitchen and dining area. The patio door opened out onto a covered back porch.

To the left of the porch was the original bathroom. The bedroom door was at a 90 angle forming a corner with the bathroom. The living area shared the left wall with the original bedroom. The bedroom door opened to the left and had a long closet that started behind the door and extended down to the point where the coat closet was that opened into the living room. The bedroom also had one window that faced the front of the house and one that faced the side yard.

Kurt and Sam started walking around the interior of the house.

"I see. Someone converted the garage into a master suite." Sebastian said as he opened the door off the living room. "It's nice." He walked into the suite. "I like the walk-in shower," Sebastian said from the bathroom.

"It has a big walk-in closet too," Kurt said as he opened the door outside the bathroom door. "I like the layout of this room. Let's go look at the rest of the house."

"Ooh, the kitchen is nice. The last people put in new cabinets and appliances," Kurt said. "The cabinets are unfinished, but that's not a big problem."

Sebastian opened the door to what he thought was a pantry to find out that it was a combination pantry and laundry room. "The laundry room is nice too."

"I like the open layout. It's similar to our apartment."

Kurt walked toward the other side of the house. Sebastian followed him.

"There's a full bathroom and a bedroom. The bedroom is decent in size, similar to the rooms we have now, but not as large as the new master suite. Obviously the owners turned this into a kid's room when they repurposed the garage into a master suite." Kurt said.

"Well, honestly I really like the split layout a lot better than most of the places we've seen with the two bedrooms next to each other. I think I've just gotten used to the privacy of having our own areas on the edge of a shared center space. And we don't need a garage. There's a shed out in the back yard. The mower can go in there," Sebastian said.

"Let's think about this one. I really do think this could work. And I like that so much of it has already been upgraded. And I like how light it is in here," Kurt said. "Can we make a second appointment to come see this one on Saturday afternoon or Monday evening?"

"Sure. Saturday afternoon at 3:00 would work for me."

"Great. We'll bring Sam and take a closer look around, but I do like this place," Kurt said.

"Me too, even though we'll need to update the original bathroom a little for it to go with the rest of the house. Do you know how to install tile?"

Kurt nodded. "I've done it before. It's time consuming, but we can do it."

They looked around a little more and took a few photos. "We'll be back on Saturday at 3:00. This might be just what we're looking for."

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The three of them went back Saturday to look at the house again.

"Has there been an inspection done?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, everything is on file. I have a copy with me and I've looked it all over. The house had a buyer that ended up not being able to follow through due to a loan issue. But they had paid for an inspection just a month ago. You're free to hire someone to do another inspection or just accept the one that's already been done."

"Can we get a copy of the inspection? I just want to look it over and look up the inspector." Kurt replied.

"Sure."

"Sam, your room would be that one," Kurt said as he pointed to the doorway to the left.

"Great. I'll go look."

Sebastian opened the patio door and went out on the covered porch to look around the back yard and to take a better look at the shed. Kurt looked at the laundry room and checked out the furnace, water heater and the washer/dryer hookups.

Sebastian came back inside. "The shed's in good condition. It looks pretty new. I'm betting it was built when the garage was converted."

Kurt looked through the inspector's report. The electricity had been upgraded through the whole house when the garage was renovated. The gas lines had been removed and everything was all electric, including the cost-saving electric heat pump/AC unit. The hot water heater was replaced at the same time as the other improvements. The roof had been replaced as well.

"Well, other than staining the kitchen cabinets and installing countertops and upgrading the original bathroom, everything else has been done," Kurt stated and handed the original inspection papers back to Gary.

"How long would it take to close with a cash offer?"

"The sellers are ready to close immediately. They're losing money paying the mortgage on a house they moved out of three months ago. They weren't planning on moving, but the husband was transferred to Texas unexpectedly. And the wife had their baby a few weeks ago."

"I see. Can you give us a few minutes in private?"

"Sure. I'll be out in the backyard."

"So, what do you think?" Sebastian asked the other two.

"I like it. My bedroom needs painted. I'm not really ready to call a room that says 'Princess Polly's' painted in magenta on a castle on a pink wall mine," he said laughing. "It at least has to say 'Samurai Sam's' or something."

Kurt and Sebastian laughed. Kurt said, "Yeah, that's going to be gone. It's a cute idea for their little princess, but not so much for you. We'll definitely paint the room, whatever color you like. We'll upgrade the bathroom to match the style of the rest of the house and stain the kitchen cabinets and have a countertop installed. None of those things is incredibly expensive and if the sellers are as desperate as it sounds, we can probably offer a few thousand less than the asking price and make those repairs for the current asking price, which is quite reasonable."

"I like the place. The back yard is already fenced. It's not large and it's flat. So, it wouldn't take much to keep it mowed and looking nice. We'd have room to have people over like we do now because of the open layout of the living room and kitchen. And the bedrooms are split like ours are now."

"I agree with Sam. I like it. They did like 90% of the upgrade work and we can easily do what's left," Sebastian added.

"I think it's better than the condos because we won't have the monthly fee to pay and the yard work won't be a big deal since it's a small yard, like Sam said. With all of the upgrades, I don't think the utilities will be high and the appliances are all here. We can bring our washer and dryer with us and we'll be set," Kurt stated.

"Okay, then. So we bring Gary back in and make the offer," Sebastian said and headed out back to get him.

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They closed on the house six days after they made the offer and were given the keys for immediate occupancy. Kurt had Papi liquidate his portfolio and Reid paid the other half of the cost.

They had the electricity and water set to be turned on by the following Monday, which would be the first day of Sam's spring break.

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That first week in April after Kurt and Sebastian had put the offer down on the house, Sam began to receive acceptance letters and financial aid offers from the schools he had applied to. He let them all pile up until the end of the week.

The day after Kurt and Sebastian had closed on the house, Sam opened his letters when Kurt and Sebastian got home. They sat on the sofa together and Sam sorted each one into a stack on the coffee table after he read it.

"I got a scholarship offer from another school," Sam said excitedly.

"What does it cover?" Sebastian asked.

"It says it has to be used toward tuition, university fees, books from the university bookstore or room and board on campus. I need to figure out how much that would cover in total with the Pell Grant."

Sam looked at the letter again.

"I never really considered living on campus since we've lived here together. I mean I've wondered what it would be like, but I like living with you two."

"Don't turn this down because of us." Kurt said. "I can totally understand if you'd rather live on campus. We'd still see each other. You can still come and stay with us whenever you want. We won't rent your room out to someone else. It will still be yours."

"Even so, I'd miss you if I moved out. It's a hard decision."

"You don't have to answer immediately. You could go take a tour of the dorms. Talk to people. You don't have to make a final decision immediately," Kurt said.

"I think I'm still just in shock. The idea that more than one university thinks I'm good enough to get in, and not only that, but good enough to get a merit-based scholarship. It's like this super cool dream. I never, ever thought I'd even get into community college last year. And now, wow. It's just a lot to take in."

"Open the rest of the envelopes," Kurt said encouragingly.

Sam opened the rest. He divided them into piles. Accepted with no additional financial aid offered and another pile with scholarship offers. He didn't have any rejection letters.

"Three places offered me scholarships."

"Sam, you're really good. I've told you that for a long time, but you just couldn't see it. Now, it's your time to shine. You've been given a great opportunity."

Sam pulled Kurt into a big hug. "This opportunity is because of you. I might be talented, but if you hadn't come up with the idea of bringing me here instead of leaving me in Lima or Kentucky, this would have never happened."

"You're welcome. You deserve it. So, which one of those three places do you want to go?"

"Well, let's read their offers again." Sam looked back through the letters. "I think I read this one too fast the first time. Does it say that I got a full scholarship to your school? Did I make it into the top 10% that got full tuition offers?"

Kurt took the letter from his hand and read it over. "Yes. Yes, you did. You're being offered full tuition, fees and books scholarship."

"Then, that's where I'm going. That's where I wanted to go ever since last fall. I just knew that it was really expensive and I didn't want to get my hopes up. With the Pell Grant, I can get a new computer - one I can do digital artwork on. And I can get a scanner. This is amazing!"

Kurt pulled Sam into a hug. "You're amazing!"

Sam laughed and let him go. "I'm going to call my parents and tell them."

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Over the weekend they bought a nice off-white low VOC paint with primer for Sam's room. Sam started taping off the windows, door frames and floor trim in his room and the bathroom in preparation for painting on Monday. They picked out tile and grout for the bathroom and they bought a new energy efficient toilet to install after they had laid the tile. They bought a warm gray stain for the kitchen cabinets and picked a countertop to go with it, set up a time for the measurements, and ordered it.

Sam knew how to stain wood from his woodworking class. He painted his room and while it was drying, he painted the bathroom with a water-resistant paint in a pale warm gray color to go with the gray and brown tiles that they had chosen for the floors and the walls. After that, he spent the next couple of days staining and sealing the kitchen cabinets. The countertop was going to be delivered and installed the next week.

Kurt taught Sebastian how to lay the floor tiles and they worked on it together. They decided to replace the bathroom pedestal sink with a sink with cabinet along with the toilet in the end. Since there was no linen closet, they decided they needed a cabinet to store towels and supplies in. After the floor was done, they moved on to tiling the entire area around the tub, including the ceiling since Sam was tall and there was bound to be water spraying up there when he showered.

By the following Sunday, the bathroom, Sam's room and the kitchen were done and all that was left was the installation of the countertop. They opted not to paint the living room and kitchen since it had been done in a really pale gray recently. The house had really dark brown hardwood floors, which actually looked really nice with the pale gray walls and the gray stain on the cabinets.

They all sat on the floor in the living room and relaxed for a few minutes.

"So, when do we want to move?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, I don't know honestly. I've thought about it. If we move now, Sam can't walk to school anymore, but I could drive him and then go to class myself. It's not snowing anymore so it wouldn't take that long to drop him off, even though it's the opposite direction."

"Maybe I could take him on Monday/Wednesday/Friday. And then you could do it on Tuesday and Thursday. You can pick him up from work on your way home everyday easily."

"That's true. We can work the transportation out. We've only got class for another four weeks or so. Then, he can just drive himself. It's more of a matter of where do we want to live. Our lease isn't up for 11 weeks," Sam said.

"I know. I pushed us to get this done during Sam's spring break because Sebastian's finals start in three weeks and then mine start the week after that."

"We understand the rush of you wanting to get it done quickly. Now we just have to decide," Sam said.

"I'd like to go ahead and move in here," Sebastian said. "I'd rather not wait a month and have the house just sit here empty."

"I'm good either way," Sam said.

"I like the idea of being here and getting comfortable here before the end of the semester. I don't really want to wait a month either," Kurt said.

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Two weekends later, lots of trips driving back and forth, and a small moving truck, the help of a few friends, all of their stuff had been moved out of the apartment and into the house. And to their surprise, the apartment manager, let them out of their last month on the lease because she had someone on a waiting list that was willing to move in June 1st.

Kurt and Sebastian made a stop at Little Caesar's on the way to the house with the last of the boxes. Sam had driven the moving truck and Adam had ridden with him. Everyone else piled into Elliott's car with him. When Kurt and Sebastian got there, they unloaded the boxes from the Navigator and finished helping with the truck. Everyone wolfed down the pizzas quickly and Elliott followed Sam to the moving truck rental location and brought him back after dropping the truck off. They managed to get all of the furniture into place, and then everyone headed out with much thanks from Kurt, Sebastian, and Sam.

They had put the sofa in front of the double window with the other edge along the side wall. The coffee table was placed in the placed in the center. On the wall that the coat closet was on, the placed a bookcase on each side of the sideboard. The dining table sat in the open space in the center of the kitchen area.

Sam chose to put the head of his bed against the wall that his room shared with the bathroom. He placed his dresser to the right of the bed and his bookcase to the left. He put his desk on the opposite wall to the left of the window. The easel went in the corner on the other side of the window, up against the short wall behind the coat closet.

Kurt and Sebastian placed their bed under the window that faced the side yard. They put a bookcase on each side of their long dresser under the other window. They put their desks with the small chest with Kurt's sewing supplies on the wall opposite their bed, which was the wall their room shared with the living room. The fourth wall didn't have any furniture.

"It's done. We did it. Now, we can shower and sleep."

"It's only 7:00," Sam teased.

"Don't care. Sleeping," Kurt said and got up to head to the shower.

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Sebastian slipped into the bedroom a couple of minutes later and joined Kurt in the bathroom. The shower had glass doors, so Kurt saw him come in.

"I LOVE the new shower. It's awesome. Join me. You know you want to."

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Two days later, Sebastian spent his Tuesday cleaning the apartment from top to bottom to insure the return of the whole deposit. The three of them were present for the final inspection that evening. They turned in their keys and parking permits and got their full deposit returned to them.

"Let's celebrate. We haven't used that gift certificate Lisette gave us for Christmas yet," Kurt said.

"Ooh, Chinese sounds good to me," Sam agreed with Kurt's idea.

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After they had gotten all of the boxes unpacked, they realized they really needed more hanging space. They really liked the house, but they had a net loss in closet space since Sam's new room didn't have a walk-in closet. They also needed different lighting for the living room since there was no place for the floor lamps they had been using.

Sam had reinstalled the doorknobs with the keyed locks that they were using in the apartment. Sebastian brought home a wardrobe from Ikea that Friday. He also bought a multi-bulb standing light fixture to put in the corner behind the sofa and two small lamps to put on top of the bookcases as well, which they put in place right away. They spent the evening putting the wardrobe together. The placed between the end of the sofa and the door to the master suite. After it was in place, they hung up all the coats that didn't have a place in the closets.

The last thing on their list was to rehang the paintings and photos, which didn't take too long to get hung up. They used the same type of hangers they had used in the apartment.

They toured the house and looked at everything.

"We did it," Kurt said.

"It looks great," Sam said.

"I think we made a great team and it looks fantastic. I think the only thing left is to get some outdoor chairs and maybe a table for our back porch."

"Good idea," Sam said. "And this time, I think I'd like some curtains, if you don't mind Kurt. My bedroom windows face the front and the neighbor's window. I'd prefer a little more privacy than just the blinds at night."

"No problem. I'll work on that as soon as I can. We could use some curtains in the living room as well I think. The only other thing I still need is a single large mirror to install on the empty wall in our room. The over-the-door mirrors you two rigged up in our old room worked fine, but since there are no doors facing our room now, I'll need something different." Sam kept two of the mirrors and installed them on the back of his bedroom door, almost creating the effect of a third window because they reflected the light from the front window back into the room.

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Two weeks later, Kurt and Sebastian had made it through their second semester of final exams. Kurt finally had time to get started on the curtains and they had decided to go back to look in the secondhand store where Lisette and Sebastian found the vintage fabric the previous fall. They had enjoyed a lazy morning in bed. Around lunchtime, they started getting ready to go out when Lisette texted Sebastian asking him if she could call. She called immediately after getting his response.

"You have both probably been too busy to notice and it may not even be news over there, but the French government legalized same sex marriage today. I just heard the announcement on the radio. Once you two get married there in a few weeks, it will legally recognized here as well. I have to go. I'm driving. I just had to tell you. I'll call again later." She hung up.

"I think this calls for a celebration. We're going out to lunch somewhere. Let's just get our shoes on and find a place that looks interesting on the way to the shop we're going to and try it."

After they ate, they went to the shop and they enjoyed looking around at the different antiques and vintage pieces. Kurt found two fabrics pieces that would work and that they both liked. The price was much better than buying new fabric. They stopped and bought inexpensive white cotton sheets to use for the lining on the way home.

Kurt got the curtains finished as quickly as he could over the next few days and he and Sebastian hung them on the rods that Sebastian had gotten right after they decided they needed curtains on the windows. The patio door and the bathroom windows faced the backyard, which had a 6-foot wooden privacy fence around it, so they didn't bother with curtains and just used the blinds that were already hanging when they bought the house.

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Sam's last day of school was two weeks later and graduation was the following Saturday. For Sam's graduation, Kurt and Sebastian had given Sam the money to send to his family to be able to come see him graduate. Dwight and Mary chose to drive overnight and switch off driving every three hours so that Stevie and Stacey could sleep the whole time.

They pulled into the driveway Friday morning around 9:00am. The three guys had prepared a large breakfast for everyone and had it on the table, ready to eat. Kurt and Sebastian stepped out onto the porch as the Evans family pulled into the driveway. Stacey ran and jumped into Kurt's arms when she got out of the car.

"Kurt, Kurt, I missed you so much," she yelled.

"Stacey, this is Sebastian," Kurt said as he turned slightly so that she was face to face with Sebastian.

"Hi Sebastian. I love all of my books," she said.

"I'm glad," he responded. "Are you hungry? We made breakfast."

"Yes. I'm super hungry." She let herself slip down out of Kurt's arms and walked through the door that Sebastian was holding open.

Stevie was next to hug Kurt, followed by Mary. Next, was a firm handshake from Dwight.

"This is a nice house you guys have here," he said.

"Thanks, please come in. We have breakfast for everyone on the table," Sebastian said.

Mary introduced herself to Sebastian and hugged him. Dwight offered his hand and introduced himself with a firm handshake.

"Sammy!" Stacey screeched and Sam was hit with a hug launched from several feet away as he was putting the last of the food on the table.

Stacey and Stevie insisted on sitting one on each side of Sam. They all talked over breakfast. Once they had finished, Sam helped his dad bring in their bags while Kurt and Sebastian cleaned up the kitchen. They gave Sam's family a tour of the house. They were the first, besides their local friends, to visit in person.

The five adults discussed how the house had been almost nearly renovated and that the three of them finished up the work in a week of intensive work. Dwight was impressed with how nice the bathroom had turned out and he was visibly proud of what a good job Sam had done in the kitchen.

"You all did good," Mary said. "It looks great. I'm sure you three will save a lot of money over renting, especially in a town with so many colleges."

"We will definitely," Kurt said. No one had ever disclosed to them the fact that Kurt covered Sam's expenses. Or that Kurt and Sebastian had paid cash for the house. Sam didn't want his parents to feel even more guilty about everything that had happened. They knew that Sam worked and without the details of the costs, they had no way of knowing that he couldn't afford to contribute to the rent.

"So, we've planned to take you guys to a couple of our favorite places today," Sam said.

"Where are we going Sammy?" Stacey asked enthusiastically. This was her first big trip and she was very excited.

The guys knew how much Stacey liked historical fiction stories so they had arranged for a guided tour through Mark Twain's house as a group.

"It's a surprise, but I know you'll love it. Let's go get in the Navigator so we can all ride together," Kurt answered. He offered his hand and she grabbed it quickly and started pulling him toward the door. Sebastian just laughed and followed them out. Everyone got in and they headed out. Sam grabbed the cooler of drinks they had packed earlier and put it in the back under Stacey's feet.

Everyone loved the tour. Having people in period clothes and interacting with them made the museum come to life. Stacey and Stevie really loved it. Neither one of them had ever been to anything like it before.

After they finished at the museum, Kurt stopped by a Little Caesar's and picked up three pizzas, which was definitely the least expensive way to feed seven people. They took the pizzas to their favorite park, the one with the disc golf course. Sebastian carried the pizzas, Sam grabbed the cooler, and Stacey insisted that she needed Kurt to give her a piggyback ride to the picnic area.

Sebastian sat next to Kurt and whispered in his ear, "I think she has a crush on you." and laughed.

Kurt nodded and leaned over to respond in a whisper as well. "It was love at first makeover. She had just turned 5 and I did her nails and hair and she thought I was the male incarnation of a fairy godmother. She and I have been besties ever since." Sebastian laughed out loud. "She decided that I should be Sam's new best friend since I was much better than any of the other boys she had ever met. I wowed her with my endless knowledge of Disney movies and songs and the fact that I could French braid her hair. Five year olds are easily impressed."

"Well, I agree with her assessment. You are better than all of the other boys." Sebastian kissed him on the cheek and went back to eating his pizza.

After they finished eating, Sam taught Stevie and Stacey how to play disc golf. Everyone let them stand much too close to the baskets, but the whole point was to have fun, which everyone did. They didn't stay long because they had another goal for the afternoon.

Sebastian took over the driving and Kurt rode shotgun. Sam sat in the third row seat between Stacey and Stevie. Fortunately, Stacey filled the driving time with lots of stories rather than being the type of child that complained about being trapped in a car for a long ride.

They made it to the beach by 3:00, which gave them plenty of time to enjoy the day in the water. They went to an area that Kurt and Sebastian enjoyed visiting the most. Stevie and Stacey collected shells and loved building sand castles. Kurt took a lot of pictures of Sam and his family throughout the afternoon. They headed back to Hartford a little before the sun went completely down.

Sebastian stopped and treated everyone to milkshakes on the drive back.

For dinner, they had hot dogs and mac and cheese with broccoli, which was Kurt's addition to the kids' favorite dinner.

Dwight and Mary had the kids take showers and get ready for bed. Sam zipped the sleeping bags together. Kurt set up The Lion King for them to watch, but they were so tired, they fell asleep about ten minutes into the movie. Sam took the couch.

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On Saturday, Sam's graduation ceremony started at 1:00, but he had to arrive by 12:00. Everyone was up and ready and had eaten brunch the time he left. Kurt had left as soon as they finished eating to go pick Burt and Carole up from the airport in Sebastian's car.

Everyone piled into the Navigator and Sebastian drove them to the ceremony. They arrived a little early and looked around the campus where Sam had been attending school all year. Kurt took his parents to a quick lunch before heading to the ceremony. Fortunately, since Sam's school was on a college campus, they had access to a large auditorium and everyone could attend the ceremony.

After the ceremony, they hosted a graduation party at the house. Elliott, Dani and Charlene were in town for the summer, but Adam had already gone back to England. Sam invited a few of the guys he had made friends with at school to the party as well. It was a pitch-in. They grilled burgers, hot dogs, and bratwurst and the guests brought side dishes. They set up some music and yard games in the back. A couple of hours later, everyone headed out and they cleaned everything up.

Kurt got Sam to sit on the couch in front of a small stack of gifts and cards on the coffee table. Sam opened the cards first. Sam was surprised to see one from Coach Beiste and Mrs. Langston. There was one from Noah and Annie as well. There were homemade cards from Stevie and Stacey and a separate card from his parents with a handwritten letter in it that he left to read later. He also had a card from Burt and Carole.

He opened the first gift and found a tie-dye t-shirt that said "Artists Rock" and Stacey was beaming.

"We had to take a t-shirt to school for our art project and I got one your size at Goodwill and took it. I tie dyed it and I painted the words on it myself for you."

"It's awesome, Stacey. It's perfect. I love it. Thank you." He opened his arms and she got up off the floor and came to sit on his lap.

Sam opened the next package. It also had a t-shirt in it, but it had the Millennium Falcon on the front. "I got you that one. I knew you'd like it," Stevie said.

"I do. It's awesome. I need a few new shirts because I won't be wearing a uniform to school next year. This shirt will be great for school. Thanks, Stevie."

"You're welcome."

There was just one package left on the table from Kurt and Sebastian. Sam unwrapped it. It was a new zip hoodie from the university. "I definitely can use this. Thank you."

Sam took the cards and clothes to his room. When he came back, Kurt could tell that he had been crying. He had obviously read the letter from his parents. He came out and hugged them both.

Sam took his family out for a little while so could show them around the university he'd be attending in the fall. He knew his parents were really proud of him and he wanted them to get to see how cool the school was while they were there.

Everyone was in the Navigator waiting, but Sam came back in for a minute and hugged Burt and Carole.

"Thank you. For everything." Burt nodded.

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Kurt and Sebastian drove Burt and Carole back to the airport to head back to DC about a half hour after the Evans had left.

"It was good to see you two," Burt said. "We'll be back in a few days."

"Too bad you couldn't just stay," Kurt said.

"I know, but there are some things I just can't get out of and I'll be missing a few things on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning as it is," Burt said.

"I know. I'm glad you came. I know it meant a lot to Sam to have you two here," Kurt said.

There were hugs all around.

"See you soon," Sebastian said as they got in the car. They waved as Burt and Carole walked through the airport doors.

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Kurt and Sebastian made lots of sandwiches while the Evans were gone and packed them up for the next day. They also had veggie sticks, bananas, chips, and a box of cookies they had gotten for lunch the next day. They put more drinks in the fridge and made sure all the ice packs had made it back into the freezer.

Sam texted when they were on their way back so that Kurt and Sebastian would know when to start the pasta. When they got back, dinner was on the table ready to eat. Spaghetti with garlic bread was a big hit with the kids.

The kids took showers, climbed in the sleeping bag, but before Kurt could start the movie, Stacey insisted that she needed Kurt to sing for her because he hadn't sung all weekend. Kurt roped Sebastian into reprise of "A Whole New World". Stacey's eyes got wide as she realized that Sebastian could sing her Disney songs too. After the song, Stevie and Stacey actually watched The Lion King before they fell asleep.

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The next morning, Kurt and Sebastian made pancakes for everyone for breakfast. Once everyone had eaten, the Evans family headed out to the Connecticut Science Center for the day.

Kurt, Sam and Sebastian had enjoyed their first visit so much that they upgraded their one-day tickets to a 3-person membership. This time, Kurt and Sebastian stayed home and let the Evans go as a family so Sam only had to pay for his brother and sister to get in.

Kurt packed most of the sandwiches in the cooler with the drinks and Sebastian put the non-refrigerated foods in their picnic basket and loaded the Navigator while the Mary, Dwight and Sam got ready to leave. Once the truck was packed, Kurt fixed Stacey's hair. They sang Disney songs during the whole process at Stacey's request.

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Kurt and Sebastian used the time while everyone was gone to pack their suitcases for France. Neither one filled their suitcase completely full because they figured that Lisette would have a few things to send back with them by the end of the summer.

Sebastian walked up behind Kurt when he was finishing up with his suitcase. He reached around and started unbuttoning Kurt's shirt. Once he got it mostly unbuttoned, he untucked it and finished unbuttoning it. By then, he had Kurt's complete attention.

"You don't like my choice of shirt for today?" Kurt asked teasingly.

"Well, it's a nice enough shirt, but it's blocking me from touching your fabulous skin."

"Is that so?" Kurt took the shirt off and hung it over the back of his desk chair. "Better?"

"Much." Sebastian moved the suitcase off the bed. He moved closer to Kurt and managed to catch Kurt just enough off guard that he picked him up dropped him on their bed and pinned Kurt on his back while he remained on his hands and knees.

"You want a nap? Are you too tired to finish our packing?" Kurt asked impishly.

Sebastian started kissing Kurt's neck, which brought out Kurt's moaning. "No nap. Just you."

"Mmm. Well you have me. Now what?"

"Snuggles."

"You've gotten all of your snuggles lately," Kurt continued to tease.

"Extra snuggles." He continued kissing Kurt all over.

"I think you've gotten your terms mixed up again. I'm sure that I'm being kiss attacked, which is quite wonderful by the way. Never mind, the terminology isn't really all that important." Kurt could barely talk. He managed to grab the bottom hem of Sebastian's t-shirt and pull it up over his head. Sebastian shucked it off and kept kissing him. Kurt flipped their positions and started kissing Sebastian all over instead. Over the months, Sebastian had moved past his reactions of tensing up when Kurt pinned him gently. He was no longer anxious about it at all.

"Oh, God that feels good," Sebastian moaned.

Kurt slowed down the kisses and turned them on their sides and began kissing Sebastian gently and after a few minutes, the kissing intensified to full make out levels. They eventually pulled back for to catch their breath.

"Well, that was an unexpected, but quite welcome distraction from packing," Kurt said as he stroked Sebastian's cheek.

"Mmm." Sebastian hummed as he enjoyed Kurt's affection. "We said we'd talk when we were considering doing other things."

Kurt nodded. "Mmm hmm."

"Well, I want to talk."

"Okay."

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"I think we might be able to get what we need at Costco when we head there in a little bit. If we can't, we can go to Target or a drugstore," Kurt said.

"I just want to not have to go looking when we first get to Paris," Sebastian said.

"We'll get a few things here to take with us. If we run out, we'll get more later."

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Kurt put the supplies in a ziplock bag and packed them in his suitcase. Sebastian came in the room after he finished putting the groceries away.

Kurt walked over to him and wrapped his arms around him. Sebastian melted into the hug and wrapped his arms around Kurt as well.

"I love you." Kurt said. "We're getting married in three days. I'm so excited. I love you so much." Kurt kissed him.

"I love you too, mon ange." Sebastian looked toward the suitcase.

"Don't worry about that stuff. I want to be your husband with or without it. Do you want to marry me?"

"Yes, absolutely."

"Then, don't dwell on that. If it happens it happens, if not, then it doesn't. No pressure from me at all. I'm fine. You're fine. We're fine."

"I know we are." Sebastian kissed him. "Is there anything we need to do for the ceremony?"

"We just need to make sure our outfits aren't wrinkled. We'll probably need to steam or iron the guys' shirts after they get here. We'll pick up what we need for the gazebo Wednesday afternoon. I'm over the hump of being worried. It really just doesn't matter. We can show up in our swim trunks and as long as we end up married at the end, I'm okay with that."

"Somehow, I'm not quite sure that's true, but the sentiment is nice." Sebastian resumed kissing Kurt.

"As much as I'm enjoying this, we need to get dinner on the table before they get back. They're only going to be here long enough to eat and then they have to get on the road. His parents couldn't take two days off. So, they're driving back overnight and still going to work tomorrow morning. I think the kids have a few days of school left to due to some snow days."

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Kurt and Sebastian baked an entire huge box of chicken nuggets that they had bought at Costco. They served them with mashed potatoes and gave the kids ketchup to dip them in. Stevie and Stacey were thrilled with the unlimited chicken nuggets, which was the entire point of buying them from Kurt's point of view. Stevie and Stacey talked about the science center non-stop during their meal.

Sam, Sebastian and Stevie helped Dwight load their car back up. Kurt stayed inside talking to Stacey for just a few extra minutes. He grabbed the small bag on the sideboard on his way out, and then walked her outside and gave her one last hug.

"Thanks for coming to see us," Kurt said. He handed the bag to Stacey as she got in the car. Stevie and Stacey were ready for more books. Kurt had saved them until now so that they'd have something to do for the next few hours before the sun went down.

"Thanks Sebastian!" Stevie and Stacey said as they pulled the books out.

"You're welcome," he replied.

"Have a safe trip," Sam said as they pulled out of the driveway. Tears were running down Sam's face as they drove away. Kurt walked over to him and wrapped his arms around him. Kurt left one arm wrapped around Sam's torso and they walked back into the house with Sebastian following behind.

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"Your dads are the coolest people on the planet, besides the two of you, of course."

"What are you talking about?" Sebastian asked.

They all sat down on the sofa to talk.

"Your dad fixed everything," Sam said to Sebastian. "My parents' credit, their financial situation."

"I'm lost," Kurt said and Sebastian nodded in agreement. Kurt moved closer to Sam.

"Well, obviously one of you told Reid what happened to my parents. He went after the bank that foreclosed on my parents' house illegally. The bank has to pay my parents damages and restore their credit. They'll be able to buy a house again in the future and rent a nicer place to live in until then. With their horrible credit score, they couldn't get a place in town. So, they've had to live way outside of town, which made them have to commute a lot and with one car, it was just a mess. Plus, with the compensation, they'll be able to get a second car. Actually, your dad already found a good car for them and he's having Puck fix it up. They're getting it week after next when they get the money from the lawsuit."

"I didn't know," Sebastian said. "I mean, yes, I told him how upset it made me that the bank did that to your family, but I didn't know he had done anything about it."

"Well, it seems that when a congressman starts sending people sniffing around for information and the state's attorney takes the case, people pay attention. Your dad is starting a class action suit against the bank and is looking for other families that they foreclosed on unfairly." He turned to Kurt, "And your dad is trying to start a federal investigation into fraudulent banking activities in Ohio, especially those in his district."

Sam was full on crying at that point. Kurt took Sam's hand and wrapped his other arm around Sam's shoulders.

"My dad is going to sign up for community college classes starting later this summer. He's going to go at night and get some job training so he can get a better job. He won't need to work the extra shifts he's been taking since they're getting the settlement. Reid even told my dad that if he can get a job in Columbus after he finishes the training, that my family could stay with him in Columbus until they find a place to live."

Sam managed to get his crying calmed down.

"You two are the best friends a guy could ever hope for and your families are amazing people too."

Kurt pulled Sam into a hug. "Well, I for one am glad that you are my best friend and you and your family are the amazing ones. You've all survived against the odds. Our dads merely did what was right and within their abilities to do."

Sebastian hugged Sam next. "I'm honored that you consider me your best friend as well. And I'm really glad for your parents that all of this has been rectified. They've been put through the ringer for no good reason."

"I have more good news. I just remembered. I got on for the morning shift at the camp this summer as well as the afternoon art leader position. So, I will be working a lot, but it will keep me busy while you guys are gone all summer. I'm going to miss you both."

"We'll miss you too," Kurt said.

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Kurt grabbed the leftover cookies and chips from the picnic basket and put them on the coffee table and started up where they had left off with _Dr Who_. He ended up in the middle of what amounted to a puppy pile when Sam fell asleep propped on his shoulder and Sebastian fell asleep with is head in Kurt's lap.

Kurt spoke quietly to Sebastian first and ran his hand along Sebastian's arm. "Wake up, mon choix. Let's go get in bed to sleep."

Sebastian stretched and realized what had happened. He sat up and saw Sam asleep on Kurt's shoulder and smiled.

"I see we were both using our Kurt pillow tonight," he teased.

Kurt squeezed Sam's hand. "Sam, wake up and go get in bed."

Sam sat up. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's okay. It's been a long exciting weekend." Kurt stood up now that he'd been freed of his sleeping captors. No one had eaten anything. He put the snacks back in the kitchen and checked the doors before heading to bed.


	32. Chapter 32

Lisette and Philipe arrived on the 10th in the evening. Kurt and Sebastian picked them up and brought them home. Sam prepared a late dinner for them to eat when they got back. They spent the night at the house.

Reid flew in the morning of the 11th. Sebastian and Lisette drove out to the airport to pick him up and then on to the hotel for the two of them to check into their rooms and leave their luggage. The three of them returned to the house a little after 1:00.

A few minutes after they arrived at the house, Burt and Carole pulled into the driveway.

Sebastian gave his dad a tour of the house since he was the only one that hadn't been there yet.

While Sebastian and Lisette were gone, Sam, Kurt and Philipe prepped for the pre-wedding cookout they had planned. Neither Kurt nor Sebastian were interested in a bachelor party and they didn't have a wedding shower either. They had opted for the afternoon family cookout, and then one last trip to the karaoke place with their family and friends that evening before leaving for Paris for the summer.

Burt and Reid took over the grilling, while everyone else worked on preparing things inside. Kurt and Sebastian stepped back and let everyone else work on the meal. They especially enjoyed seeing the camaraderie between Burt and Reid. Sebastian saw his dad laugh and smile, which made him smile as well. He could see both the joy and sadness in his mother's eyes.

They enjoyed their time together and had a lot of fun. The guys had found a set of horseshoes and a badminton set at Goodwill that they had set up in their backyard. The amount of smack talk going on between Reid and Burt was too funny for words. Kurt had more fun watching the two of them try to rattle each other than he did playing the game himself. He pulled two of the chairs off the porch and he and Sebastian became the spectators for the events.

Kurt was actually a little sad that Finn hadn't been able to come. Finn was on a mission to find himself while working to improve the lives of impoverished Americans. Two 10-month terms would give him enough money to cover the cost of a 2-year degree at a community college through a grant he would get for completing the terms. Plus, he got room and board and small stipend for working. He was enjoying the work and meeting a lot of people.

He had hoped that they would have completely resolved their issues by now, but Kurt still held on to a sliver of hope that after his introduction to the wide world outside of Lima, that he would be able to at least see Kurt's point of view, even if they never became close friends. Finn was really busy and had never been one to keep in contact with Kurt, so it would be a while, probably around Christmastime, before he'd see Finn in person and see how much his adventures had affected him. Kurt was knocked out of his pensive state about Finn when he got hit with a shuttlecock by accident. Lisette apologized profusely, but he brushed it off saying that he was startled, not injured and she went back to playing.

Eventually, everyone had enjoyed all the revelry they could take for one afternoon and the parents went inside to cool down and talk for a while. Philipe and Sam picked up all of the stuff in the yard and stored it in the shed. Kurt moved the chairs back to the porch, and then joined Sebastian who had gone inside to make sure all of the food had been put away.

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Nick, Jeff, and Thad were already at the restaurant when they arrived. Kurt was surprised to see how many of the Apples had stayed in town and were there as well. Elliott, Dani, and Charlene showed up about ten minutes later. It was Reid's first time at the karaoke place and much to Sebastian's surprise, his dad introduced himself to their friends and was smiling and laughing along with everyone.

Without Kurt and Sebastian knowing, Elliott had managed to get the whole group of their friends and family to learn "My Wish." When Elliott's name was called, everyone at their table, all 15 of them, got up and followed him up to the stage. The microphone was passed through the group as the lines in the verses were sung by different people and everyone joined in on each chorus. Kurt was crying a few lines in and Sebastian didn't manage to keep his tears back for much longer than Kurt had. Fortunately, Elliott knew them well enough to have handed his phone to someone else at a nearby table to record them singing.

When everyone sat back down, Kurt was wiping away the tears still. "Thank you. That was amazing."

"It really was," Sebastian added.

Everyone ordered something and created a buffet of food to split amongst the group. People in the group got up and down as their names were called to sing.

Kurt sang "No One" to Sebastian, who smiled during the entire song, which meant a lot more to Kurt than the loud applause he got when he finished.

Sam's name was the next one called from their group. Feeling the excitement of his future opening to him in ways he had never dreamed, he chose to sing "Unwritten." The crowd was clapping and singing along by the time he finished the song.

The last group song was Nick, Jeff, Thad, Kurt, Sebastian, and Sam. They did a rousing rendition of "I Get Around." The crowd was laughing at the antics and clapping along.

Not long before they were planning on calling it a night, Sebastian's name was called. He kissed Kurt on the cheek as he got up to go sing.

"So, are there any wonderful sappy love songs left that Sebastian hasn't already sung to Kurt?" Sam asked.

"There must be," Elliott answered. "He's up there, isn't he?"

Kurt just ignored them and watched the stage. He loved Sebastian's cover of "Truly Madly Deeply." When Sebastian sat back down, Kurt took his hand, interlaced their fingers and pulled Sebastian's hand up to his lips and kissed his knuckles.

All of Kurt and Sebastian's friends tried to get their parents to get up and sing and were repeatedly shot down.

Before the evening was out, Kurt and Sebastian were goaded into singing another Disney duet. The band had been playing for a while with no one singing.

"You know you want to," Sam said.

"We know you want to," Elliott chimed in.

"Fine, fine. You win." Kurt stood up and took Sebastian's hand and they went up and told the band what they wanted to sing. They turned and faced their friends. "In response to the overwhelming pleas of our friends, we'll sing a Disney duet," Kurt said. They sang "I See the Light". A big round of applause could be heard from their table when they finished.

When they sat back down, Lisette asked, "What movie is that from? I've never heard it."

"Me either," Carole said.

"You two probably haven't heard it because it's from one of the newer movies, from two years ago, _Tangled_."

"Well, I really liked that song, I may have to break down and watch an animated movie all by myself," Carole said.

"I'm glad you liked it." Kurt said and added, "You know, I'm always up for watching Disney movies and Sebastian is as much of a Disney nerd as I am."

Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulders. "Now, now. Telling people's secrets isn't nice," Sebastian teased.

"It's definitely NOT a secret," Elliott laughed.

Lisette just shook her head laughing.

"I'll keep that in mind," Carole said smiling at the two of them.

A few of the Apples stood to leave.

"Before anyone leaves, I just wanted to thank all of you for coming tonight and for the song earlier. We really loved it," Kurt said. Kurt and Sebastian stood and hugged them before they left.

Nick, Jeff, and Thad were next to get up. "We need to head out too. We've got a couple of hours of driving to get back home tonight," Nick said. He and Jeff had bought a condo and had decided to stay in Massachusetts and not go back to Ohio for the summer. Thad was staying with them in Boston for a few days.

"Thanks for coming," Sebastian said. "When we get back we'll come visit again. And we can see your new place. You've already seen ours."

"Sounds good," Jeff said. They all hugged and the three of them left.

At that point, everyone else decided to call it a night and head out. There were lots of hugs and well wishes for their wedding. Kurt and Sebastian took Reid and Lisette back to their hotel. Philipe rode with Sam, Carole, and Burt back to the house.

Sebastian took Lisette's suitcase up to her room while Kurt waited in the hotel drop off area. He was back down in five minutes. As soon as he got in the car, Kurt leaned over the center and pulled him into a kiss.

"Mmm. Let's go do something fun really quick before we go home," Kurt said.

"Like what?" Sebastian asked.

"You'll see."

Ten minutes later, Kurt pulled into the frozen yogurt shop lot and Sebastian laughed.

"Perfect."

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Burt and Carole were sitting on the porch swing when they got home.

"We'll come inside in a little bit," Carole said as they opened the door to go in.

"Just lock the door behind you after you come in," Kurt responded.

As soon as they walked through the door, Sam said, "I stopped by the Redbox and picked up _The Great and Powerful Oz_ for us to watch."

Kurt and Sebastian slipped their shoes off and sat together snuggled up on the sofa to watch it with them. Sam got up and started the movie and turned all of the lights off.

When Carole and Burt came back inside they found all four of them staring at the screen in a completely dark living room. They walked past quickly and headed off to bed.

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When the movie was over, Kurt and Sebastian grabbed their shoes and went to their room. Kurt locked their bedroom door and pulled Sebastian toward the bathroom with him. Sebastian stopped just long enough to grab their underwear, and then let Kurt pull him along again.

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"So, tonight's our last night here for two months," Kurt said as he laid his head on Sebastian's chest in the dark after turning off the light.

"I know. It's so strange. But I'm looking forward to being back in Paris. It's been almost a year since we were there. It seems both longer and like it wasn't long ago at all. It's a weird feeling." Sebastian ran his hand up and down Kurt's arm.

"I feel the same way. It feels like we've been together forever, but then it feels so new sometimes." He paused for a bit. "We're getting married tomorrow," Kurt stated matter-of-factly.

"We are," Sebastian declared.

Kurt tipped his head back and gently caressed Sebastian's cheek with his thumb. He pushed up in the bed a little and pressed his lips to Sebastian's and gently kissed him. "I love you so much, mon choix. So, so much."

"I love you, mon ange." He kissed Kurt. "Let's try to get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

"More kissing, then sleeping," Kurt said while kissing Sebastian.

"Mmm hmm."

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The next morning, Carole and Sam cooked breakfast for everyone. They went over the schedule for the day.

Sam was going to take Carole to pick up Lisette and her luggage. The three of them would then go to pick up the flowers and bring them to the house. Carole and Lisette would steam both of their dresses, and the guys' shirts if they needed it, when they got back.

Burt would follow Sam to the hotel and pick up Reid and his luggage. Burt and Reid were on lunch duty and were charged with bringing food back for everyone from their favorite Chinese restaurant.

They all decided that they'd watch _Father of the Bride_ after lunch. Kurt thought the hilarity of the excess craziness in the movie would be a fun way to spend an afternoon that could be somewhat nerve wracking if he just watched the clock tick slowly toward their ceremony time.

By 3:00, everyone was dressed and ready to go. They packed the flowers and took all three vehicles to the park to meet up with their JP, Darlene.

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Despite their initial rejection of the idea of flowers at their ceremony, they agreed with Darlene that the gazebo looked pretty drab with no decoration whatsoever. Since they had decided to go with the plum and deep royal blue theme for the wedding party's clothing, they opted for purple and blue flowers to decorate the gazebo.

They decided to make decorating the gazebo part of what they did with the wedding party. They all worked together and draped plum and blue fabric between the supports of the gazebo and fastened a small bouquet of purple and blue flowers to each support where the draped fabric met. They placed similar small bouquets on the railing to the steps that led up to the interior of the gazebo.

Lisette wore a slightly longer than knee length plum dress with a full skirt that was fitted across the bodice with spaghetti straps and a thin sheer horizontally gathered overlay that had three-quarter length sleeves.

Carole's dress was also slightly longer than knee length. It was deep royal blue with a full skirt. It was sleeveless, with a round neck, and had a loose sheer jacket with three-quarter length sleeves that went over the top.

They both wore simple black pumps that were comfortable to walk in. Both of their dresses had sashes that gathered in some way at the waist and allowed for a scarf buckle to be worn. Kurt and Sebastian designed and made the scarf buckles for the dresses themselves.

Philipe, Reid, and Sebastian all wore matching plum dress shirts, the same color as Lisette's dress. Sam, Burt, and Kurt all wore the same shirt in dark royal blue, matching Carole's dress. Reid and Burt wore a black tie and a black suit. Philipe and Sam wore only the shirt, a black tie and black slacks. Kurt and Sebastian wore the shirts, black ties, black slacks without suit coats. Instead, Sebastian wore a brocade vest in black and plum and Kurt wore a black and dark royal blue brocade vest that was similar, but not exactly like Sebastian's. All of the men wore black lace up dress shoes and the unique tie pins that Kurt and Sebastian had made for each of them.

Darlene arrived a little later wearing a calf-length, simple black short-sleeved dress with simple black pumps as Kurt and Sebastian had requested. She set up one camera in the gazebo to film the ceremony and another to take timed shots all throughout the ceremony as well. She brought a small bluetooth speaker system and sat the two speakers on the floor, behind where she would stand during the ceremony.

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Once the gazebo was ready, Darlene stood in the center of the back of the gazebo as the wedding party formed two lines waiting to go up the stairs and enter. She started the music using a remote once she was in place. Kurt and Sebastian walked up the stairs and entered the gazebo and stood facing the stairs, Kurt to the right of Darlene and Sebastian to the left.

Philipe and Sam walked up the stairs side by side and took their positions facing each other to the sides of Kurt and Sebastian.

Lisette and Carole walked up the stairs together with Reid and Burt directly behind them. They walked and stood next to Philipe and Sam, forming a semicircle with Reid and Burt standing next to each other. Each of them was standing about two feet from each other, with a larger gap between Burt and Reid of about four feet, creating a fairly large circle around the center of the gazebo.

Once everyone was in place, Darlene used a remote and turned the music volume very low and began to speak.

"By being present here today, you have come to celebrate the love that Kurt and Sebastian have discovered in each other and to support their decision to commit themselves to one another for the rest of their lives.

"The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved - loved for ourselves.

"This afternoon, we are here to celebrate love. We come together to witness the joining together of this couple in marriage. This is the union of two individuals in heart, body, mind and spirit. Marriage is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently, honestly, and deliberately. And it is into this union that Kurt and Sebastian come now to be joined.

"Marriage contains within it life's most important relationships. The two joined are each other's best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener and critic. Marriage deepens every facet of life. Together happiness and joy are felt more strongly and grief and sorrow recede more quickly.

"Marriage establishes a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual, and obligation is reciprocal."

Kurt and Sebastian turned toward each other, but remained far enough apart that they could not reach out and touch each other.

"Kurt and Sebastian, you are two separate people, with different ideas, you know that you don't belong to each other, but with each other, and you share a bond of love and trust with each other that you have come here today to solemnify in marriage.

"Kurt, you have chosen Sebastian to be your husband and life partner. Will you love and respect him? Will you be honest with him always? Will you stand by him through whatever may come?"

"I will," Kurt answered.

"Sebastian, you have chosen Kurt to be your husband and life partner. Will you love and respect him? Will you be honest with him always? Will you stand by him through whatever may come?"

"I will," Sebastian responded.

"And do you make these vows of your own volition?"

"We do," they said in unison.

"Do you, the family and friends of Kurt and Sebastian, give them your blessing and support this day?"

"We do," everyone responded in unison.

"Kurt and Sebastian, the vows that you will be taking are a promise that you make today, but they must be renewed tomorrow and each day that stretches out before you.

"Will you now please hold hands say your vows to each other?"

Kurt and Sebastian stepped towards each other with their hands outstretched and stopped once they were comfortably holding hands. They looked each other directly in the eyes as they spoke.

"In the presence of our family and friends, I, Kurt Eli Hummel, choose you, Sebastian Alexander Smythe, to be my husband, my life partner, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, to love and to cherish, and to be faithful to you alone. This is my solemn vow."

"In the presence of our family and friends, I, Sebastian Alexander Smythe, choose you, Kurt Eli Hummel, to be my husband, my life partner, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, to love and to cherish, and to be faithful to you alone. This is my solemn vow."

Darlene spoke again.

"The rings that you wear are a symbol of the vows that you have made to each other. The unending circle of your rings is a sign of fidelity, your pledged faithfulness to each other. These rings marked the beginning of a continuing journey together filled with wonder and surprises, laughter and tears, celebration and joy. That journey pauses here today for your family and friends to publicly witness your lifelong commitment to each other in this ceremony."

Kurt spoke.

"Sebastian, you are the love of my life. You make me happier than I could ever have imagined and you make me feel more loved than I ever thought possible. The ring I wear symbolizes your unending love for me. I promise to stand by your side, to listen when you speak, to comfort you when you cry, and to join your laughter with my own."

Sebastian spoke next.

"Kurt, you know me better than anyone else in this world and somehow still you choose to love me. You are my best friend and one true love. The ring I wear symbolizes your unending love for me. I see these vows as privileges. I get to laugh with you and cry with you, care for you and share with you, continue to live with you, and build a life with you."

Darlene began to speak again.

"Kurt and Sebastian, we have heard your promise to share you lives in marriage. We recognize and respect the vows you have taken here before each one of us as witnesses. Through the vows you have made to each other today in my presence and the presence of your family and friends, and by the power vested in me by the state of Connecticut, it is my honor to declare you married partners for life."

Kurt and Sebastian shared a gentle, chaste kiss while continuing to hold hands.

"Kurt and Sebastian's kiss is outward manifestation of their love for one another and concludes this wonderful celebration of their union in marriage."

They turned and stood side by side and stepped forward to be hugged by their parents.

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After the ceremony, Darlene took photos of the whole group standing on the stairs to the gazebo and some individual shots of Kurt with Sam, Sebastian with Philipe, Burt and Carole with Kurt and Sebastian, Reid and Lisette with Kurt and Sebastian, and several shots of Kurt and Sebastian together.

Darlene told Kurt that she would have the photos on a CD and a DVD ready for them to pick up on the next day. They reminded her that it would be Sam picking them up. She told them that they would be able to view the video and the photos online the next afternoon as well. She gave them an account number and password to view them. Darlene said her goodbyes and went directly to the clerk's office and filed their paperwork. She waited until their certificates were ready and took them with her to her office.

Lisette brought her own photography equipment and took group photos using her remote and then she took multiple photos of the group divided different ways in and around the gazebo. Once she had finished with those, she took everyone out into the gardens and took more shots. Once she was finished with everyone except Kurt and Sebastian, the rest of the wedding party removed the decorations from the gazebo and stored the flowers carefully to place on the tables at the restaurant, where they headed afterwards.

Kurt used his phone to take a photo of the slip of paper with the account number and password on it and then took a photo of it with Lisette's phone as well so she could access the photos herself.

Burt and Carole left in their rental car. Sam drove Reid and Philipe to the restaurant in the Navigator. Kurt, Sebastian, and Lisette followed a little later in Sebastian's car.

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When the guests of honor arrived at the restaurant, they sat together in the center of a rectangular table. Sam and Philipe were seated to their sides. Carole and Burt were seated across from Kurt and Sam. Lisette and Reid were seated across from Sebastian and Philipe.

The table looked lovely with the flowers from the ceremony down the center. They had requested black table linens and the flowers really stood out against the tablecloth. They had pre-ordered everyone's meals so that they could start eating not long after arriving since four of them were flying out later that evening and Burt and Carole were driving back to DC that evening as well. Kurt and Sebastian caught everyone at the table taking photos at different points in time. They asked for copies of all of the photos taken to be sent to Sam so he could make a CD with all of them.

Before their meals were served, Lisette had Sam and Philipe move their chairs closer to Kurt and Sebastian. The four parents stood behind them and their server took a few photos of their group with Lisette's camera already set with the right settings and with Kurt's phone.

Everyone enjoyed the food and had a good time talking during their meal. Kurt and Sebastian had their legs intertwined at the ankle under the table and held hands under the table as much as they could.

Once they finished their meal, the cake was brought out. They had chosen a simple, single-layer round cheesecake with a thin, decorative chocolate ganache layer on the top and sides. It was placed in front of them and they held the knife together and cut into the cake. They cut the cake into eight slices and distributed them. Kurt and Sebastian each took a small section of their own slice and fed it to the other.

After they had finished, they all headed back to the house for a little while. Kurt and Sebastian stopped by Darlene's office on the way home to pick up their certificate so they would have it with them in France. They left an additional copy in the small safe Kurt kept in their closet.

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When Kurt and Sebastian got back to the house, everyone had changed back into casual clothes. Sam had already put Reid and Philipe's suitcases in the Navigator. Burt and Carole's rental car was already loaded as well.

Kurt packed their vests and ties neatly on top of the clothing that was already packed in his suitcase. Lisette was going to drop off their slacks, dress shirts, and her dress at to the cleaners on her way home when they arrived in Paris because they were planning to wear them to the family party on Friday evening. He slipped on some pajama pants and placed their suitcases and their folded clothing in a plastic bag outside their bedroom door so Lisette could put their clothes in her suitcase and Sam could load the rest of the luggage into the Navigator.

Kurt shut and locked their bedroom door and quietly asked, "Shower with me?"

"Of course." Sebastian followed him into the bathroom.

"I am going to miss our fabulous shower," Kurt said once they were in the bathroom.

"Maybe we can persuade my mom to get her bathroom updated," Sebastian laughed. "But I doubt it. She really likes her tub."

"Oh, well. Let's enjoy it while we can." He got in the shower and Sebastian followed him.

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Burt and Carole hugged them both and congratulated them again. Sebastian walked out to the Navigator. Carole turned and picked up a stack of envelopes from the sideboard and handed them to Kurt. "These are from your friends last night and from all of us. They wanted us to give them to you as you were leaving."

Kurt slipped them into the front section of his backpack. "Thank you. For everything. We'll see you when we get back. Sam can send you a copy of the video if you want. We'll send you a DVD once we get all of the photos compiled into one location."

Kurt locked the door after everyone had gone outside. Burt and Carole got into their rental car and headed back to DC.

Sam and Philipe had gotten into the third row seat, Lisette and Reid were in the backseat, and Sebastian was waiting in the passenger seat. Kurt got in the driver's seat and they headed off to the airport.

When they got to the airport, Kurt hung back while everyone else went inside. He hugged Sam. "I'm going to miss you," Kurt said. "But I'll be back," he said in his best Terminator impression just like he had the summer before when he left for France.

"You better," Sam said hugging him again. "I'll miss you too. But I'll be working my tail off all summer, so I won't be bored and I'll be rolling in dough when you get back."

"Sounds good." Kurt hugged him again and grabbed his suitcase and walked inside where everyone else was waiting for him.

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Lisette and Philipe waited on a bench while Kurt and Sebastian said their goodbyes to Reid. He surprised them both by giving each of them a hug. "I'm so glad the two of you found each other. I hope you enjoy your summer in France."

"I'm sure we will. Thank you for everything," Kurt said.

"Bye, Dad." Sebastian stepped closer and hugged him again.

He turned and took Kurt's hand and walked toward Lisette and Philipe. They turned back and waved as Reid walked toward the domestic flights area.

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Mamie and Papi were waiting for them at the airport when they arrived in Paris.

" _Congratulations_ ," Mamie said as she hugged Sebastian and then Kurt. " _We're so happy for you and we're glad to see you. We've missed you_."

" _Thank you Mamie. We're glad to be back_ ," Sebastian said.

They loaded their suitcases in the trunk and they all three got in the back seat. They talked about the wedding all the way to the apartment. Kurt and Sebastian got out of the car and pulled their luggage out. Lisette and Philipe went back to Mamie and Papi's, leaving Kurt and Sebastian to spend the week alone in the apartment. They hadn't really discussed an actual honeymoon. They decided that they would wait until they were back in Paris and then choose some place in France to spend a few days later in the summer.

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They got their luggage into their bedroom, took their shoes off, and plopped on the bed on top of the covers.

"I'm so tired. I know it's only like 10:00 in the morning in Connecticut, but the turbulence really didn't let me sleep much. I know it's way too early to go to bed and stay asleep until tomorrow morning. Nap. I need a nap. A shower, then a nap," Kurt declared.

"I second the motion. Shower, then a nap. And if we manage to stay asleep until tomorrow morning, so be it. My mom will let your parents know we arrived. We'll just put our phones on silent and sleep."

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Four hours later, Kurt woke up. Sebastian was just lying there holding him, letting him sleep.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Maybe a half hour, not sure, but not that long."

"We're back where we started." Kurt turned over and kissed him.

"Mmm." The kissing continued.

"We're married."

"We are."

"I love you." Kurt managed to wrap his arms around Sebastian's neck.

Sebastian rolled them so that he was on top of Kurt while they were kissing. He kissed down Kurt's neck. "I'm not squishing you am I?"

"No, I'm fine." Kurt ran his fingers through Sebastian's hair "Better than fine. That feels so good."

"I love you, mon ange," he said before they began kissing again.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

By 8:30, Kurt's stomach was growling something fierce and despite his protests of preferring to stay in bed, Sebastian persuaded him to get up and go with him to the kitchen to find something to eat.

Kurt followed him to the kitchen, but hopped up on the counter while still holding his hand and pulled him toward the counter, wrapping his legs around Sebastian's upper thighs and wrapping his arms around Sebastian's neck once he had caught him. He just held him close and kissed him.

"I hope your mom left something that we can just eat. I don't want to cook right now."

"If you set me free, I'll look in the fridge," Sebastian said between kisses.

Kurt unhooked his feet and put his hands in his lap. Sebastian took the few steps it took to look in the fridge. He saw fruit and veggies, not much else.

"I guess she thought leftovers might spoil between Monday and today?"

"Look in the freezer."

"Frozen dinners? My mom never buys those." He opened the freezer. "But yet, there are some in here." He pulled out a container of lasagna and turned the oven to the right temperature.

"Let's just put it in the oven and set your phone to beep when it's done. We'll go out tomorrow and get some stuff. I just want to stay here tonight."

"The oven is preheating." He walked back and stood in front of Kurt. "Once it beeps, we'll put it in."

"And until then," Kurt didn't finish his sentence because Sebastian was kissing him again.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Before they went to sleep that night, they were able to access the photos and video online. Sebastian downloaded the video and all of the photos to his laptop. They decide to wait until the next morning to actually look at the photos since it was so late.

They turned off the lights and got in bed. Kurt snuggled up to Sebastian and laid his head on Sebastian's shoulder and Sebastian wrapped his arm around Kurt.

"Do we want to play the video of the ceremony for everyone tomorrow evening?" Kurt asked.

"Our grandparents want to show the video at the beginning of the party. Philipe is setting it up to show it on a screen or a large TV or something. I left the details to him to figure out. We just need to put subtitles on a copy of the video tomorrow and give it to Mom when she brings our clothes over tomorrow afternoon."

"Do you know many people are coming? We left all of the Paris party planning to our families and we've been busy. I never thought to ask your mom while she was at our house."

"I asked. She said somewhere between 20-30 people were invited. It's a very small party, family only as far as I know. There might only be ten people, if none of your relatives from Strasbourg can make it."

"Are you disappointed? You asked me several times about how I felt about our wedding ceremony. Are you okay with such a small party since you said that the French focus more on the celebration aspect of a wedding?"

"No, mon ange. I'm not disappointed. We're here together and you love me and I love you. There's no room for disappointment when the man I love wants to spend his life with me. The party is more for them than me. I get to spend every day with you. That's the most amazing thing to me."

Kurt kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you. Let's try to go back to sleep. I don't want to be tired all day tomorrow. The first few days back are the hardest to sleep at the right time."

Kurt kissed him gently, and then rolled over to be the little spoon.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Friday morning Kurt woke up still snuggled in Sebastian's arms. He could tell that Sebastian was awake and he turned over and wrapped himself around Sebastian and kissed him. "Let's get dressed and go out to breakfast," Kurt said excitedly.

"Okay."

"You were easy to convince."

"What's not to like about you being excited about something? You're totally adorable when you're excited."

"I'm not adorable. I'm debonair and refined," Kurt said in a posh voice, tilting his eyes up attempting to look haughty.

"I stand corrected. What's not to like when you are being debonair and refined?" Sebastian laughed.

Kurt acted quickly, threw the covers back and pinned Sebastian on his back, while remaining on his hands and knees.

"Pulling out your ninja skills? How's pinning me to the bed going to further your idea of going out?"

"Good point," he said as he started kissing him everywhere. "Maybe we should stay in."

Sebastian managed to grab Kurt and flip them. "Nope. You wanted to go out, we'll go out." He kissed him and climbed out of the bed and went to the closet opened the doors.

"Well, I was going to hang up our clothes and hope something was presentable to wear since everything's been in the suitcases for five or six days, but Mom has put new clothes in the closet and they're not wrinkled."

Sebastian pulled out two outfits. By then Kurt had gotten curious to see what Lisette had gotten them and had gotten out of bed to look in the closet.

"Ooh. Nice. It's a good thing we brought the mostly empty suitcase with us. Your mom has good taste in clothes. Look at the end. Those are too big for us. She got Sam some stuff too. I told you she was adopting him."

"Well, now she's got three boys. You know we have to bring him here next summer. We just have to figure out how," Sebastian said.

"That would be awesome. Maybe he could do some sort of overseas study program and the cost of getting here could be somehow covered by his scholarship or grant or something."

"Definitely worth looking into."

They had both finished dressing. Kurt headed to the bathroom and Sebastian went to inventory the kitchen. When Kurt came out, Sebastian went in. Fifteen minutes later, they were on their way out the front of the building.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

They walked through Parc Monceau before heading to the Metro. Sebastian stopped them in the same spot where he had stopped Kurt the summer before and kissed him gently. Kurt smiled and laughed. He wrapped his arm around Sebastian's waist and Sebastian did the same.

"I love being here with you," Sebastian said.

Kurt squeezed him in a side hug.

They loaded their cards for a month's worth of public transport when they got to the Metro station and headed off to eat breakfast and go shopping.

"So, I think it's tradition to go to the boot store and get a new pair of boots the first day we come for the summer. What do you think?"

"Sounds like a fun tradition. Let's eat first though."

They stopped at a bakery and got fresh croissants and coffee. "This can just be a snack. We'll find a nice place and eat an early lunch before we go to the market," said Sebastian.

They sat outside and enjoyed their coffee. Kurt reached out for Sebastian's hand. He quickly switched his coffee cup to the other hand and took Kurt's outstretched hand. They interlaced their fingers.

"We're married." Kurt brought Sebastian's hand up to shoulder height and kissed his knuckles. "We're back in Paris and we're married."

"It's perfect." He leaned over and kissed Kurt and stood up to start their morning shopping.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"We still need to do the captions for the video." Kurt remembered while they were putting groceries away.

"We'll work on that next. At some point, I want to look through the photos that Darlene took and the ones Mom took and pick from those to fill one of the collage frames like we have in our bedroom. We can print two copies of each photo we want to use and fill one frame and hang it here and take the other photos back with us and make a second one there."

"That's a good idea. We'll work on that next week once your mom comes back to the apartment. She can help with any touch ups or editing or filtering that Darlene's photos might need too. It was really nice of her to let us stay for a week by ourselves, but it's kind of weird without her here."

"I know. I've spent a lot of time in the daytime home without her here, but when she went out of town or to the States for photoshoots, I always stayed at Mamie and Papi's, not here overnight by myself. It's definitely weird when she doesn't come home at the end of the day."

They had finished putting all of the groceries away. Sebastian texted Lisette to find out which program on her computer to use to put the subtitles on the video and they got to work on it. When they finished, they saved it to a DVD and put it in a sleeve on the dining table for Lisette to pick up.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"When do you want to open the stack of cards that Carole handed me on the way out of the house?"

"I didn't see her give you a stack of cards. I must have already been out the door."

Kurt opened his backpack and pulled a stack of about ten envelopes and took them over to the bed and patted the bed. Sebastian sat down next to him.

"She said that people had given them to her and asked her to give them to us before we left."

"Well, there will be people bringing cards tonight as well. Most people give money as gifts at weddings here."

"Oh. I didn't really even think about gifts. Your parents gifted us tickets to come here for the summer and my parents paid for our wedding dinner, which was more than enough gift-wise. I guess if people give us money tonight, we can use it go to on the trip we had talked about taking later this summer."

"Well, I figured we'd go back to your family reunion in Strasbourg, which is probably in either two or three weeks."

"I have an idea! Let's take a basket and notecards to the party tonight. We'll ask each guest to make a suggestion for a place in France to visit and put why they suggest the location. We can keep the cards and pick one for this summer and then maybe go to the other places another time if they sound interesting."

"I love that idea."

"Do you have some index cards?"

"In my desk, I think." He got up from the bed and looked through his desk. "Here's about a half a pack of them. That should be more than plenty. I'll grab a few pencils too. I'll go look around for a basket." He came back a few minutes later with a small woven basket. He put the index cards and the pencils in it. He handed one card to Kurt. "Your handwriting is better than mine. Why don't you write what we want people to do on one card and we'll fasten it to the front of the basket?'

"Do you have a marker? That will show up better from a distance." Kurt got up and sat at the desk.

"In the bottom desk drawer."

Kurt wrote the instructions neatly with the marker. "Do you have a hole punch?"

"Same drawer."

"Yarn, string, twist ties?"

"I'm sure I can find something. I'll be right back." He came back with a piece of narrow ribbon. "It's from the Christmas wrapping paper box. Will that work?"

"Sure." He punched two holes in the card and tied it to the front of the basket. He put the empty cards and pencils in the basket. He got up and put it on the dining table and slipped the DVD into it.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

"So, you didn't answer me earlier about whether to open the cards now or later, and then I had a flash of inspiration, but back to the question."

Sebastian answered, "Let's just keep them all until tonight and when we come home from the party, we'll open them all and keep a list of who we need to send thank you notes to."

"Then, what do you want to do until it's time to get ready?"

"Well, there's always the ironing," Sebastian teased.

"A good option given the fact that our clothes are still in the suitcases."

"We could at least take them out and hang them up."

Kurt got up and moved to the closet and opened the doors and pulled out some hangers and Sebastian put the suitcases on the bed. It didn't take long and they had the suitcases emptied.

Sebastian's phone pinged with a text. "Mom's here. She's on her way up with our clothes."

"She's never texted like that. She just lets herself in and calls for us."

Sebastian looked at him and raised his eyebrows.

"Oh," he paused, realizing what Lisette was concerned she'd walk in on.

A few minutes later, Lisette knocked on the door and Sebastian opened it to let her in.

" _Good afternoon, boys. I have your shirts and slacks and some food._ "

" _Thanks, Lisette. We have a basket for you to take to the restaurant. It's an activity for the people who come._ " He showed it to her.

" _That's a neat idea. I'd be interested in seeing what the cards say._ "

" _You can read them. The DVD with the subtitles is in the basket._ "

" _I've been working on the photos that Darlene took and the ones I took. After the party tonight, I'll put all of the photos on a DVD. I'll make a separate file of the best ones that have been touched up to be ready to print. If you see any in the originals that you want touched up, you can let me know._ "

" _Thank you. And thanks for the new clothes. We found the additions to our wardrobes in the closet, and even some for Sam. I'm sure he'll love them. We're trying to come up with ways to get him to come with us next summer,_ " Kurt said.

" _Well, that would be a lot of fun, wouldn't it?_ " she responded excitedly.

" _It really would,_ " Kurt answered.

" _So, tonight_ ," Lisette said, changing the subject. " _Philipe will be here at 7:00 to pick you up and bring you to the restaurant. We've gotten 23 RSVPs. There's going to be a traditional French wedding cake, which I will let Sebastian explain to you, Kurt. There will be dinner and dancing. No alcohol, which was met with some resistance, but I put my foot down._ "

" _Thank you, Mom._ "

" _It's your party, you should have a say about what won't be there. Philipe is setting up a TV to play your wedding ceremony before you two arrive._ "

" _Sounds like everything's covered. Thank you,_ " Kurt said graciously.

" _You're welcome, honey. Before I forget, take this bag of food and put it away before it spoils. I'm assuming that you found the frozen casseroles in the freezer._ "

" _Yes, we ate lasagna for dinner yesterday._ "

" _Good. Well, I have to get going back to Mamie and Papi's. I'll be riding with them because Philipe's coming to pick you two up in my car. Robert and Sophie are picking your grandparents up and taking them home, Kurt._ "

" _I'll thank them for that._ "

" _Well, I'll see you boys in a few hours._ "

" _Thanks again,_ " Kurt said as she turned and left.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt took the bag of food that Lisette had handed him to the kitchen to put away. Sebastian took their clothes for the evening into the bedroom. Kurt put everything away fairly quickly and then cut up some fruit and cheese and sliced the fresh bread that was part of what Lisette had brought. He took the plate of food with him to look for Sebastian.

He found him in the bedroom sitting on the bed crying quietly. Kurt put the plate down on the desk and hurried over to sit next to Sebastian.

"Bas, mon choix, what's wrong?"

He didn't get an answer, but he didn't pull away when Kurt took his hand.

"Is someone hurt? Did you get a text or something?"

Sebastian shook his head.

"Well, I'm glad no one is hurt, but you're upset. What's wrong?"

Kurt sat there for a few minutes replaying what had happened in the last half hour to see if he could figure out what had upset Sebastian. It dawned on him that maybe it had something to do with Lisette not coming straight up to the apartment and letting herself in with her key like usual.

"Does this have to do with your mom texting and then knocking on the door before she came in?"

He nodded, almost imperceptibly.

Kurt used his free hand and unlaced his shoes and took them off. He let go of Sebastian's hand and knelt in front of him and did the same for Sebastian. Kurt stood and climbed over to his own side of the bed.

"Bas, lie with me, please?"

Sebastian nodded and scooted up the side of the bed and then lay down on his back.

Kurt reached out for him. "Closer, please."

Sebastian moved closer and turned on his side and put his head on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt wrapped his arm around him, and then started to run his fingers through Sebastian's hair.

"While this is nice, how about we at least take our shirts off. We're going to shower before we get dressed for the party anyway."

Sebastian reached over and started to unbutton Kurt's shirt. Kurt smiled and kissed the top of his head. Once his shirt was unbuttoned, they sat up and Kurt unbuttoned Sebastian's shirt. They slipped them off and lay back down. This time Kurt positioned them so they were lying face to face. He wrapped himself around Sebastian and held him for a few minutes. Kurt wiped the remnants of tears from Sebastian's face, placing gentle kisses where they had been. He took Sebastian's hands and clasped them between their chests as they still lay facing each other.

"I love you so much, Bas. It breaks my heart to see you cry. This is too important for me to guess or make assumptions about. I need you to actually tell me what's gotten you so upset."

"I'm afraid."

Kurt gently squeezed Sebastian's hands.

"Of what, mon choix."

"That even though you say it now and mean it, that you'll eventually decide that I'm not enough. That you'll want someone who can give you what I can't." He started to cry again. "Even my mom thought that's what we've been doing. Why else would she hesitate in coming into her own home."

"Listen to me carefully. I married you because I love you Sebastian."

"I know. And I love you so much."

"I need to you understand. You are not broken. I am not waiting for you to be fixed. I love you. I don't love some future version of you that's somehow different than the way you are right now. Marrying you wasn't some kind of 'futures' thing like Papi invests in. I didn't buy 'low' expecting a 'high' return at some point. I'm begging you to please stop thinking like that. I love you completely right now. I'm not biding my time waiting for something to get 'better.'" Kurt indicated these things using air quotes.

He wiped the tears from Sebastian's face again and kissed him gently on the cheek.

Kurt continued, "What other people think is up to them. I can't control whether people approve or disapprove of our love for each other or how we express our love. If you want your mom to stop acting like she might walk in on something, maybe we just need to clarify that we keep our private lives private and that she shouldn't be concerned about walking in on something private in the living room or kitchen. That way, she doesn't get any details we don't want to share, but we set her at ease about being in her own home."

Kurt took Sebastian's hands again.

Sebastian spoke, still upset, but no longer crying. "I think I am the one who's been waiting for me to be fixed - the one that feels broken because I can't do for you what I should as your husband."

"What did we vow two days ago?" Kurt answered his own question slowly, thinking back to the specific words they had spoken. "It was to love, to respect, to be truthful, to cherish, and to be faithful to each other throughout our lives through joy, sadness, wealth, poverty, sickness or health. Have you decided that you can't keep that vow?"

"No, of course not."

"Then I don't see what it is that you 'should' do for me as a husband that you said you would do."

"You know what I'm talking about."

"I do. But you never took any type of oath or made any kind of vow promising me that. I never asked you to sign any paperwork agreeing to that. The only thing physical you ever promised me was an endless supply of kisses." Kurt kissed him on the lips. "And I told you that you could put the kisses on me anywhere you wanted to." Kurt kissed him again. "We later agreed that we could touch each other. Beyond that - no agreements were made. There's nothing you SHOULD be doing that you aren't already doing. You love me, you respect me, you're truthful, you're faithful, and I always feel cherished."

"You're absolutely sure."

"I am."

"Okay. I just feel like I'm letting you down."

"I'm not sure what to do other than continue to reassure you that you aren't letting me down. We agreed that we'd talk about the hard things rather than hide them from each other. Thank you for telling me that you're still struggling with this. Just know - please know - that this is not something for you to worry about. We agreed to not hide things from each other because those are lies of omission. You didn't close up and say 'nothing' when I asked what was wrong. And if I said something didn't bother me and it actually did then that would be lying as well. So, we're doing fine. We're being honest and open. I told you the truth when I told you that I am not disappointed or being let down in any way."

Sebastian closed his eyes as Kurt kissed him gently all over his face. A tiny smile popped out and Kurt gently kissed him on the lips. Kurt was still holding Sebastian's hands. He pulled them to his lips and kissed his knuckles.

"So, are you ready to go use these wonderful hands of yours to make sure I'm 100% clean for our party tonight?" Kurt winked at him.

Sebastian initiated the kissing this time. "Thank you."

"Always," Kurt answered while continuing to kiss him.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Philipe picked them up at 7:00. They drove to a lovely restaurant that had a private room that had been reserved for their party. They arrived just a few minutes after everyone had finished watching the video of their ceremony. Kurt and Sebastian could hear "I Run to You" playing as they came in. Everyone stood and cheered when they entered the room. They walked around and greeted everyone - there were hugs and air kisses galore.

The long table had been covered with black tablecloths and blue and purple cut flowers in short vases. The table had been set with alternating blue and purple napkins.

They took their place at the table and Philipe started a photo montage set to music. He had obviously gotten the videos of the songs Sebastian and Kurt had sung to each other from Sam, and then used his editing skills to save just the audio portion of them singing for the background music to the photo montage.

Kurt hung his head. "Oh, my..." were the words that spilled out when Kurt saw that it had started baby pictures of the two of them. He whispered to Sebastian, "You didn't mention that public humiliation was on the agenda for tonight."

"Don't be silly. Look around. No one's laughing at you. People are smiling. I didn't think to mention it because I didn't know you would be bothered. It's just a memory lane tour - a glimpse into your life and mine for our family to enjoy. No one here will tease you."

Kurt looked around. People were smiling and enjoying seeing the photos of the two of them as babies and toddlers.

"You're right. I'm sorry I freaked out."

Sebastian scooted his chair closer to Kurt and wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulder. He reached for Kurt's hand with his free hand and Kurt took it. "It's okay. Remember that these people love you. This is not Lima. No one here wants to see you hurt. If they laugh, it's because they think we were cute, not because they're ridiculing us."

Kurt nodded and enjoyed seeing the photos more now that he didn't feel so on edge.

The montage continued. Tea parties for Kurt's animals. Sebastian's dinner parties with all of the animals dressed up properly. Kurt with his mom and dad. Photos of Sebastian with his mom and dad. Still shots from Sebastian's dance recitals. Photos of Kurt dressed in costumes he created for himself. Shots of him in one of his "One-Boy Shows" as his dad called them. Photos of Sebastian playing lacrosse and swimming. Kurt in his Cheerio uniform. Sebastian in his school uniform in France. Kurt in his Dalton uniform. Kurt performing at Nationals. Sebastian in his Dalton uniform performing at Regionals. Kurt in his graduation robe with Burt and Carole. Sebastian in his graduation robe with Lisette and Reid. Lots of photos of the two of them together in France and in Hartford. The final photo was of them kissing at their wedding.

Once the photo montage ended, Philipe moved the TV out of the way. He brought out a small karaoke machine and gave a small speech about how much Kurt and Sebastian both loved to sing and how much fun he had had when they had taken him out for karaoke night when he visited them. He pulled up the Disney song selections and insisted that Kurt and Sebastian be the first to sing. They reprised "I See the Light" and everyone cheered. Sebastian insisted that Philipe be the next one to sing since it was his idea. About thirty minutes later, everyone that was willing to participate had done so. Some were good singers, while others sang for the fun of it.

At 8:30, the first course of their meal was served. It was a couple of hours before they got through all of the courses. When they finished eating, Lisette called for Kurt and Sebastian to step out into the center of the room and have their first dance as a married couple. Philipe turned on a waltz. Kurt and Sebastian waltzed around the room with ease and by the end of the song, others had gotten up and were joining in. They danced a few more waltzes then the music changed to a more contemporary style.

About an hour later, the guests began quietly chanting, "le gâteaux" and they looked over to the door to a delicious looking dessert being pushed into the room on a small rolling cart that was being maneuvered by two servers.

Kurt leaned in and whispered. "You forgot to explain this to me this afternoon."

"Well, as you can see, it's an artfully layered stack of caramel covered cream puffs. They're delicious. It's called crouquembouche."

"Well, it's beautifully done. What's in the champagne tower glasses, if we aren't serving alcohol?"

"Sparkling cider, I'd imagine."

"Mmm."

After they fed each other one of the cream puffs, the "cake" was put on plates so that other people could eat it as well. People moved from the dance floor, collected plates of cream puffs and flutes of cider and sat back at their places at the table for a little while.

Sebastian got up and walked over and picked up the basket and all of the cards were blank. He got everyone's attention and explained what he and Kurt wanted people to do.

" _Please help us by recommending places in France, or nearby, that we should visit. Put the location at the top, an explanation for why you think we should visit the place, and then put your name and address at the bottom. We'd like to start our own address book, so even if you don't have an idea for a travel destination, please put your name, email address, phone number, and address on one of the cards._ "

Kurt handed the basket his Great Aunt Beatrice at the opposite end of the table from where he and Sebastian were seated. She smiled and put the basket in front of her on the table and took out a card and began to write. A few people sitting near her took pencils and cards and wrote on them. By the end of the evening, everyone had put a card in the basket.

The dancing resumed after the dessert and lasted for another hour or so. Kurt and Sebastian thanked each person as they left. Amélie and Lucien were among the last to leave.

Amélie said, " _You're wedding in the park was just lovely. We're so happy for the two of you and we're so glad that you're back for the summer. Call us in a few days and we'll tell you about this year's reunion plans._ "

" _We'll do that, Grandma. I'm really glad that you and Grandpa were here tonight._ " He hugged her as the left to ride back home with Sophie and Robert.

At that point, only Lisette, Philipe, Mamie, and Papi were left. Kurt and Sebastian thanked them for overseeing the party arrangements and hugged both of them. Kurt grabbed the basket with the vacation ideas in it and Sebastian picked up the basket that had been put out for the guests to put cards in. There was one small, flat box sitting with the card basket. It was from Mamie and Papi.

" _Should we open it now?_ " Kurt asked Mamie.

" _Please do._ "

Sebastian picked it up to open it. He unwrapped a digital kitchen scale.

" _Lisette told me that you two didn't have one and I know how much you both like to cook. If you want to learn to make some of our traditional French baked goods, you'll need the scale._ "

" _Thank you. She's right - we don't have one. I'm sure it will be very useful,_ " Kurt said.

Lisette wrapped some of the flowers from the vases in wet paper towels and put them in a bag for Kurt and Sebastian to take back to the apartment.

" _Thank you, for everything_ ," Kurt said. He hugged Lisette and stepped out of the way so that Sebastian could hug her next.

" _Thank you, Mom._ " He hugged her.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Sebastian put the flowers in a vase on the table when they got home. He left the digital scale on the kitchen counter. Kurt took the cards out of both baskets and left the baskets on the table because he didn't know where to put them. He put the cards on their bed and grabbed the cards they brought with them on the bed as well. Sebastian came in the room.

"So, mon ange, we've already showered once, but I propose another shower."

"I concur with your assessment. I don't like to sleep with hairspray in my hair. So, we shower and then read the notecards and open the cards or do we go to sleep and look at everything tomorrow?"

"I'm not really sleepy, even though it's late. My body hasn't readjusted yet. So, we look at everything when we get back in here, I think."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o

Kurt had piled up the pillows in the middle of the bed and grabbed a pencil and a notebook.

"So, snuggle reading position. Me or you in the front?"

"You in front. I'll grab an envelope from my desk to put whatever might be in the cards into."

Kurt waited for Sebastian to get the envelope and climb into bed and get comfortable sitting on and leaning against the pillows. He made room for Kurt to sit right in front of him. Kurt scooted back and lay back against him. Sebastian wrapped his arms around Kurt and they just sat that way for a few minutes. Sebastian started kissing his neck with warm open mouth kisses.

Kurt started moaning. "That always feels so good. But we won't get anything read if you keep it up. I can't focus on anything except how good that feels."

Sebastian kissed him a few more times than stopped. But before Kurt could get one of the envelopes open, Sebastian was running his hand up and down Kurt's torso. Kurt closed his eyes and lay completely back with his head leaned back onto Sebastian's shoulder.

"Do I need a shirt?" Kurt teased.

"No, no. No shirt. I want to touch your beautiful skin, please."

"How about we just look at the cards in the morning? I'd rather continue with your idea." Kurt leaned up, picked up all the cards and put them on the side table with the notebook and pencil. He reached to turned off the side lamp, but Sebastian didn't let him reach that far.

"If you turn the light off, I won't be able to see you anymore."

He lay back against Sebastian, who went right back to what he was doing. Kurt was struck by the reality of just how much Sebastian enjoyed looking at him and touching him. Even after a year of being together, it felt new and unusual. Tears of joy flowed softly and quietly down Kurt's cheeks as he lay there just letting Sebastian touch him. Every caress was filled with love he could feel.

Sebastian began to sing "You'll Be in My Heart" to Kurt.

Kurt couldn't think of anything that could be better than how he felt right then.

When Sebastian stopped singing, Kurt reached back over his head and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck and stretched up to be able to kiss the side of his neck. "Bas, I love you so much."

Sebastian turned Kurt's body and wriggled a bit so that he could kiss Kurt, which he did. "I love you, mon ange. Kurt turned more and was leaned side to chest against Sebastian, still with his arms around Sebastian's neck. Sebastian gently caressed Kurt's back while they kissed.

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Kurt woke up and Sebastian wasn't in the bed. He got up and slipped some pajama pants on to go look for him. He found him standing out on the ledge in the living room just looking out over the area, like Kurt had seen him so many times before.

"Couldn't sleep?" Kurt asked as he wrapped his arms around Sebastian.

"It was my way of letting you sleep."

"Do you want to stay out here or come back to bed with me now that I'm awake?"

Sebastian turned in Kurt's arms and kissed him. "Inside with you," he said as if he were just asked the dumbest question ever.

Once they were back in bed, Kurt turned back into his octopus version and wrapped himself all around Sebastian. "Last night was amazing and intense."

"Mmm. After our talk yesterday afternoon I realized something."

"What?"

"I had still been holding back even after I thought I had stopped."

"What do you mean?"

"I love touching you. God, you just don't know. But I felt like I was leading you on. Like I couldn't follow through with the end so I shouldn't start what I couldn't finish. When you absolutely assured me that you weren't waiting for me to 'finish', it was really freeing. Before we left, we went shopping for things because I wanted to be prepared. I told you yesterday that it was me - I was the one putting pressure on myself. I never thought you were lying to me, and you never, ever pressured me, but I kept thinking that I could eventually convince myself or maybe even force myself to give that to you. I love you so much. I'd do anything for you. But yesterday it finally got through my thick skull that you aren't just patiently waiting for me to change and you don't want me to convince myself or force myself to do anything."

"You're right. I don't want you to convince yourself or force yourself. That wouldn't bring me any pleasure at all. The exact opposite. I could never do something that would hurt you."

"I know. I know. I really do. I always have. But there's all this stuff about pushing through the pain of past traumas. About not letting the past rob you of your future. So much stuff that's supposed to be uplifting and helpful that tells people to basically just get over it and do what scares you. Confront your fears. Stuff like that."

Kurt just waited for him to continue talking.

Sebastian smiled shyly, "So, basically, I just always want to touch you, like always. We hold hands a lot, which I love. I love when you get all clingy, when I tease you and call you an octopus, like right now. I love that. I know I told you that once we started snuggling that I finally really slept. Touching you - it's just the best thing in the whole world."

"So last night was the outcome of you realizing that touching for the sake of touching is a fantastic idea?" Kurt asked as he winked at Sebastian.

"Pretty much."

"Well, it was awesome and amazing. I honestly cannot think of anything that ever made me feel that good."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Better than..."

"God, the way you look at me from across the room is better than that."

"Don't tease me."

Kurt looked Sebastian directly in the eyes. "I'm not teasing. Not at all. I'm absolutely serious."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Kurt paused, and then started to sing. "I said I love you and that's forever. And this I promise from the heart. I could not love you any better. I love you just the way you are." He kissed Sebastian gently. "So this is all settled now? You've released yourself from this self-imposed expectation?"

"It's the beginning - more than a beginning. It's final. Yes, I've let go of the idea that I need to change. I can't promise that the feeling won't creep back and try to pull me back under. Self-doubt and self-recrimination seem to be personal specialties of mine."

"Two of my tormentors as well. We'll fight them off together." He kissed Sebastian. "Let's sit up, open these cards, and then I want you to call the dance studio and sign us up for lessons all summer."

"Well, that's an abrupt change of topic," Sebastian laughed.

"Well, this summer is about us, right? I know we still have some school stuff to work on because of the classes we're taking online, but the rest of the time - I just want to enjoy every minute with you. More nights like last night. More days filled with dancing and laughing." Kurt ran his thumb along Sebastian cheek and then his hands through his hair. He kissed him again and untangled himself.

He sat up and grabbed the cards. Sebastian read them out loud. If there was something in the card, Kurt wrote down the name and gift in the notebook, and then wrote on the back of the card what had been inside. Sebastian had been correct that most of them contained money, but there were a few surprises. Thad's card had a membership to Mystic Aquarium.

Kurt grabbed his phone and looked it up. "How did we not know that there was an amazing aquarium in Connecticut?"

"Well, I know where we're going when we go back," Sebastian laughed.

They continued opening cards. "What's that?" Kurt asked as Sebastian unfolded a piece of paper in the card from the Apples.

"It's a 2-day reservation at a bed and breakfast in Vermont."

Kurt looked it up on his phone. "Oh, look it's near a waterfall in Green Mountain National Forest. When's the reservation for?"

"September 20th and 21st."

"I bet it's gorgeous that time of year. Fall will be in full color, I bet. That was a really cool idea. I wonder which one of the Apples has been there," Kurt said as he wrote on the back of the card. He took a photo of the sheet of paper to make sure they wouldn't lose the reservation number.

Sebastian was looking up the area on his phone. "It looks really beautiful. That's a really cool gift."

"It really is." Kurt opened another card. "Sam's has a note that says his gift is that we can pick any of his paintings or he will paint us a new one of our choice."

"Nick and Jeff's card says that our gift is that they'll buy all of our meals the next weekend we come stay with them."

Kurt laughed. "Now, they're basically bribing us to visit them."

"That sounds like them. I already told them we'd go see their new place when we got back."

Kurt's phone pinged with a text. "My cousins all stayed the night and are now set to go out to be tourists for the day and they want to know if we want to meet them."

"Why not?" Sebastian said. "Sounds fun. Only I want to do one thing first."

"What's that?"

"I get to dress you."

"Okay."

Sebastian brought an outfit from the closet and took it off the hanger and actually started to dress Kurt.

Kurt started laughing. "I don't think anyone has actually dressed me since I was like two years old."

"I know, but this way I get to touch you more. And my choice of clothing has a purpose."

Kurt looked at what he was wearing. He was clueless about its purpose, but he just let it go. They each grabbed a banana and a pack of trail mix and headed out to the meeting point. They walked out the building and Sebastian put his arm around Kurt. Kurt felt his fingertips right above his hip bone. He smiled and leaned into Sebastian and kissed him. "I love you." He wrapped his arm around Sebastian's waist.

"I love you, mon ange," he said as he gently ran his thumb across Kurt's skin.


	33. Epilogue

Kurt and Sebastian completed their online coursework, went sightseeing, read books, took dance lessons, went out dancing, sang karaoke, cooked together, and took their one-week honeymoon trip.

Adam came and stayed with them for a few days later in the summer just as they had planned.

Kurt and Sebastian kept in contact with Sam all summer. In addition to working both shifts at the camp, he took a weekend job at a grocery story and worked 12-hour shifts each day. He was determined to make enough money over the summer that he could not work at all during the school year. He was worried about how much effort college would require on his part and he didn't want working to cause him to do poorly and lose his scholarship since the GPA required to keep it was much higher than he had ever been able to maintain in the past. He knew that he was better equipped to do decently in school now, but the concern was still there.

Sam picked them up from the airport when they got back. The first thing he did when they got home was to have Kurt step out on the porch with his eyes closed. When he opened them, Kurt saw that Sam had created a beautiful flower garden for him over the summer.

Kurt chose a painting of the flower garden as their wedding gift.

The three of them went to the aquarium and they added a +1 to their membership for Sam and they visited frequently.

That fall, Kurt and Sebastian loved the weekend they spent in Vermont at the bed and breakfast. Kurt was right about how spectacularly beautiful the area was that time of year.

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During Finn's first term in the Americorps program, he made friends with a guy named Tim. He and Tim got really close, spending most of their down time together. Tim spoke often of Toni, who lived about a half hour from where they were staying. Tim visited Toni frequently on the weekends and he had specifically chosen the area he was in so he could stay close to Toni. One Friday, six months into the term, Tim had gotten up from the table where they were playing cards when his phone rang. Tim yelled out from the kitchen for Finn to answer the call before it went to voicemail. Finn grabbed it and answered, only to be met with the shock that Toni was actually Tony. Tim was gay. Finn was left with a lot to think about. Kurt's questions came rushing back to him. Why did he never consider Kurt to be one of the guys? He had had no trouble considering Tim one of the guys. He was left with a lot to figure out.

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Rachel and Blaine had kept in contact all school year despite the fact that Blaine's family had moved to Fort Wayne and that he had been enrolled in another boarding school. His dad sent him to counseling at his new school. He had managed to play along and realized his past mistakes quite well for the counselor - meaning that he would say whatever it took to make the counseling sessions end as soon as possible. Within a few months of the beginning of the school year, Blaine had completed his sessions and his dad was convinced that the issues were resolved.

Blaine and Rachel plotted and planned for their epic New York adventure all year. Both of them applied to NYADA and were accepted. They moved into the NYADA dorms in August. They had wanted to live together in an apartment, but Blaine convinced Rachel that the dorms would be better because they could still be together whenever they wanted, but they wouldn't have to commute or cook for themselves. The truth was that he knew that there was no way his parents would pay for his apartment if they knew he was living with Rachel. Kurt had made that impossible since he poisoned his dad's mind about Rachel. That incident had earned him the potential loss of his trust fund if he ever went near Kurt or Sebastian again. Blaine's parents were unaware that the Rachel he made friends with in the dorms was the same Rachel that he was supposed to stay away from.

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The school year started again for Sebastian, Kurt, and Sam as well. Kurt was fortunately able to keep a reduced hours position at the shop he had been working at. He sat down with Joe and explained to him that his school workload was just too intense to keep up the same schedule as the year before and that since they had bought the house, he could survive on fewer hours a week.

Kurt filled the role of specialist and worked six hours a week, three on Tuesday morning and three on Thursday morning before his classes started for the day. Kurt's school schedule was still very busy, but without needing to be at work every day at 3:00, he had more flexibility and some time between classes to get reading done, which made his school year much less stressful.

Sebastian didn't enjoy the commute any more than he had the year before. He had stuck with Yale, even after his dad had given him the option to choose another school. Kurt and Sam's school didn't offer advanced literature courses in Spanish or French and he didn't want to change his major to just English. So, he stuck it out. He did manage to keep his classes to M/W/F, which cut down on the driving. He did enjoy the courses themselves, which helped keep him motivated.

Sam absolutely loved the art school. He was thrilled that much like his last year in high school, his B.F.A. coursework would only involved 6 courses that were not art related. He opted to take the required math course his first semester in hopes that he hadn't forgotten everything from all of the studying he had done for the SAT. Kurt tutored him, just like he had in high school.

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In a surprising turn of events, Puck reverted to being called Noah not long after Kurt left Lima. Noah got full custody of Annie right before Christmas.

She had done well in school that semester, with no unexplained absences, no detentions, and her grades were good. Noah continued his courses and became a full-fledged mechanic and enrolled in more courses to work toward becoming a master mechanic.

He and Annie changed their last name to Kesselman as soon as he was officially her guardian. They had both discussed how much they disliked being associated with their father and they had always had a good relationship with their mom's mother, whom they called Nana. Nana's last name had been Kesselman before she married. Annie also legally changed her first and middle names. She had been named Naomi Ann, but always insisted on being called Annie. Naomi was their father's mother and she had never been nice to her or to Noah. She had always hated being named after her. So, she chose to change her middle name to her nana's first name. Her full name became Annie Samara Kesselman.

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After hearing what educational help Sam had missed out on that he should have gotten, Carole ran for the school board and won. She fought to enact changes and bring attention to the disturbing FAPE violations within the school district. She also worked to enact strict anti-bullying policies in the Lima School District.

Once parents were informed of the rights of their children, parents put pressure on the district to provide the appropriate interventions for children with learning differences.

Figgins was fired from his position as principal at McKinley high school and he was replaced by a woman who had been the vice principal at a successful high school in Columbus. She was a no-nonsense administrator and shook up the school's apathetic teachers with threats of pink slips if they didn't do a better job of engaging the students and providing students with the opportunity to learn.

She spent the first two weeks at the school attending at least one course taught by each teacher to reinforce the idea that they were going to be held accountable for presenting the material that the students needed to know. There was no threat of dismissal if the students performed badly because that responsibility fell on the students. But the students were presented with the option of Saturday school or after-school detention if they didn't maintain passing grades after adequate supports had been offered, such as tutoring with the teacher or a fellow student. She also enforced minimum GPAs for sport team participants.

By the end of the first semester, the school had already improved tremendously. Bullying was down about 95% and teachers were teaching. Students who wanted to learn were able to do so and those who refused spent time in detention and Saturday school. The sports team members had improved their GPAs to comply with the requirements. Carole checked in with her often and was thrilled to see the progress.

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Blaine ended up finishing his first year at NYADA unhappy and feeling under-recognized and overly-chastised by his professors in his courses. His parents were not pleased with his grades and he was duly required to return to Indiana and not waste any more of his parents hard-earned money by doing poorly in school.

Blaine instead opted to go live with Cooper in L.A. and try his hand at auditioning for TV roles and work on his music.

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Rachel was a talented singer, but she was not good dancer and she struggled through the dance classes at NYADA.

She persevered and got invited to sing at the Winter Showcase, the first freshman to be invited to participate in many, many years.

Mid-term her second semester, she auditioned for the role of Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of _Funny Girl_. She got the part and did well her second semester courses.

The rehearsals for the show started in the summer after she had completed her first year at NYADA. Once she had started rehearsals, she dropped out of NYADA.

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Kurt and Sebastian spent the summer in Paris again. They did manage to take Sam with them that summer. He had enrolled in an English-language art program through an overseas study program. He lived with Kurt and Sebastian in the apartment and slept on a fold up bed in the living room at night. He spent a lot of his time in classes during the daytime, but they still had a lot of free time to spend sightseeing.

Sebastian had to take two courses over the summer again. Kurt enrolled in a course in a local music conservatory to hone his classical music training over the summer.

Sam used his free time to work on his plein aire painting skills and set up all around Paris painting the city's famous landmarks. He also liked to find small, interesting picturesque areas to paint.

Adam came back and stayed for a few days again the end of the summer.

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Finn decided to switch the base location for his second term with Americorps so that he could spend time in another part of the country.

After his shocking revelation that Tim was gay, he tried to pretend that it didn't matter to him, but he realized that it actually did. He realized that he needed to sort himself out.

He remembered Kurt talking about PFLAG and he looked it up online. He contacted the closest chapter to where he was going next and found someone willing to talk to him on the phone.

He slowly worked through his issues, but it was a struggle for him. He felt like every time he made progress, he was right back where he started. But he worked at it and slowly changed his knee jerk reactions to match his knowledge and how he wanted to be as a person.

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By the time the Funny Girl opened, Rachel was thrilled. Everyone in the New Directions had been invited to her opening night that fall. Sam took Sebastian's car and drove to New York to watch her perform. He gave Kurt's regrets for not being able to make it due to his work schedule. Rachel made a fantastic Fanny. Sam managed to secretly record her singing one song to be able to show Kurt.

Blaine had gone to see Rachel's opening night performance and went on and on about how fantastic it was living in LA and how he'd been landing small roles on different shows and how he was certain that he'd be cast in a bigger role soon.

Unfortunately for Rachel, the repetitiveness of performing the same show eight times a week wore her down. The longest she had ever performed the same role was the three days and four performances that she had done of _West Side Story_.

By the end of December, three months of eight shows a week had passed and Rachel no longer had any interest in playing Fanny. She quit the show and her understudy took her place. She quickly turned in applications to music schools for the following fall before the deadlines. She left New York to go stay with Blaine and Cooper in LA and try her hand at getting roles on TV.

She stayed in LA for four months and didn't get any speaking parts. She decided to accept one of the offers from a college in Ohio and go back to school to study musical theatre.

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Finn completed two terms with Americorps and earned the grants to start community college the fall that Kurt was in his third year of college. He decided to study HVAC. Finn realized the usefulness of a trade degree when he was working with Americorps. He knew it would give him the flexibility to get a job anywhere he ended up wanting to live.

He joined a PFLAG group his first semester in college and really faced his remaining issues head on.

He and Kurt became friends, but weren't super close. They got along at family events that were held in DC, which was what Kurt had hoped for. He was just glad that Finn no longer behaved the way he had before because it allowed them to have joint holiday celebrations, which made their parents happy. He could see the changes in Finn and had hope for their relationship to develop over time.

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Burt ran for re-election that fall as well. His constituents were pleased with what he had done his first three years in office and he won his seat back by a landslide.

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Rachel started at Kent State that fall, which was a rigorous program much more similar to Kurt's program than the one at NYADA. There was no showboating, just a lot of learning and practice to improve on a personal level.

Blaine stayed in LA, continuing to audition for roles.

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Late the same fall and early winter, both Kurt and Sebastian applied to graduate schools, both in Hartford and in Paris. Sebastian was not interested in continuing to drive to New Haven for his Master's work. He applied to the English . program in Hartford and several different programs in Paris.

Kurt landed the lead in Adam's Master's program musical theatre production. The role was perfect for him, just as Adam had said when Sebastian had first asked about his intentions two years before. It was Kurt's first lead role and he loved every minute of it. Burt, Carole and Reid came to see him perform. Sebastian sent copies of the video to Lisette and their family in France.

Kurt accepted the scholarship offer to do a Master's degree in Music Education at the University of Hartford where he was completing his undergraduate work. He was offered a paid TA position in the costume shop as part of his graduate work, which he also accepted.

Sebastian accepted the scholarship offer for the Master's of Education program at UH. He would be studying English. He was offered a paid position as an associate instructor in the French department, where he would teach first year French courses.

At the end of the 2015 school year, Sebastian graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Comparative Literature with a minor in both French and Spanish. Kurt graduated summa cum laude with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre.

All of their parents came for the graduation ceremonies. They had a graduation cookout at the house. Kurt, Sebastian and Lisette left for France the day after graduation. Kurt and Sebastian stayed until mid-August. It was their first summer there since their first that they didn't have school work to do the whole summer. Both of them ended up taking students for tutoring until mid-July when the high school students got out of school.

Kurt spent some of his free time writing the music for Pip, Pip Hooray! and Sebastian spent time writing. They spent a lot of time at the different libraries around Paris as well. Every summer they spent time exploring different parts of Paris as well. As Kurt had said on his first visit, there was enough history in Paris to spend a lifetime learning about it.

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Over the next two years, Kurt and Sebastian completed their Master's programs and Sam finished his B.F.A. in illustration.

Sam continued to work with Thad on their graphic novel collaboration. By the end of his junior year, he and Thad had finished their first graphic novel. It took several submissions to different book companies, but eventually they were offered a book deal with the proviso that they turn in the outlines for a least three sequels. The company wanted them to produce a series of no fewer than four books.

By the end of the first semester of his senior year, Sam and Thad had the three sequels outlined and turned in. The original book got a publishing date set. That spring Sam was offered a scholarship for the M.F.A. in illustration program.

Sebastian enjoyed teaching French. He found the . program a little rigid and less enjoyable than the Comparative Literature program, but he didn't complain and he did his work and did it well.

Kurt continued to work with Professor Miller and he enjoyed his position in the costume shop. He oversaw the costuming for Pip, Pip Hooray! which he directed as part of his performance requirement for his degree.

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Sam graduated with his B.F.A. the same spring that Kurt and Sebastian finished their Master's programs. They all three graduated with honors. All of their parents and Sam's siblings came for their graduation ceremony.

Lisette flew in with two nearly empty suitcases and flew back with them filled with Kurt and Sebastian's clothes. After she left, Kurt and Sebastian packed their own suitcases and then set themselves to the task of boxing up anything else they wanted to take back with them to France.

Sebastian's big struggle was to figure out which of his books he really wanted to take home with him. In the end, he found a cheap way to ship printed material and packed all of them and shipped them out. He decided waiting 4-6 weeks for them to arrive was worth being able to keep them all.

Kurt and Sebastian left the house to Sam to live in until he was ready to leave Hartford at which time it would be sold with the money reverting to Kurt and Sebastian. Kurt gave his Navigator to Sam after graduation.

Sebastian's gift to Sam was a copy of the cookbook they had created together over their five years of living together. Sam's gift to them was a painting of Kurt's favorite exhibit at the aquarium. And although it seemed like a gift just for Kurt, Sam knew that Sebastian would sit and watch Kurt look at the painting. Sebastian left his painting of the view from their Paris apartment in the house for Sam to look at to remind him of the time he spent with them in Paris.

Kurt and Sebastian helped Sam change the rooms in the house. They painted the suite, swapped the mattresses, bed linens, and curtains. Sam moved his clothes to the dresser in the suite while Kurt and Sam moved his hanging clothes to the walk-in closet.

Sam continued to live in the house and he needed to cover all of the costs like the home owner's insurance, the utilities and the property taxes.

He decided the best way to do that was to take in a roommate. One of his friends that had been living in the dorm was eager to move in and found the rent quite reasonable.

Renting his old room out allowed him to get by on the money he earned each summer working at the same camp he had since they all moved to Hartford. He put the money he earned from the sale of the graphic novels into savings to use once he graduated.

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Kurt and Sebastian decided to make a trip to Ohio to visit their families before they left for Paris. Since they were heading to France permanently, they wanted to visit Reid, Burt, Carole, Finn, and Noah before they left the country. They hadn't been back to Lima since they had packed their stuff and had driven to Connecticut. Sam was going with them rather than fly out to Paris on a different flight from Hartford.

After they had already decided to make a final trip to Ohio, Kurt found out about the New Directions reunion from Finn, who had forwarded the email to him.

Mr. Schue had obviously realized that a large portion of the New Directions 2012 National Champion team would potentially be in town for the Class of 2012 Five Year Reunion. In late April, he decided to have a separate reunion for the Glee Club. He scheduled it for the afternoon on the same day as the evening event that the Class of 2012 would be holding mid-May.

Kurt decided to go to the Glee reunion mostly because he was already going to be going to Lima during that general time period anyway.

The three of them drove Sebastian's car to Ohio because he was selling it to Noah for Annie. She was going to be starting her senior year and Noah decided it was time for her to drive herself everywhere.

Surprisingly, most of the members returned for the reunion. In attendance were: Kurt, Rachel, Artie, Tina, Mike, Finn, Quinn, Noah, Mercedes, Blaine, Sam, Brittany and Santana.

Brittany and Santana were still a couple. Quinn brought her boyfriend, Patrick. Tina and Mike were still dating. Kurt brought Sebastian. Blaine brought his girlfriend, Maggie. Everyone else was single.

The current Glee Club performed several pieces for the previous members, both solos and group numbers. They hadn't made it past Regionals that year, but they were pretty good. Mr. Schue asked the 2012 group members to choose a solo piece or group pieces to perform for the current members.

Kurt got Rachel, Artie, Tina, Finn to sing "Don't Stop Believing" with him. The unholy trinity performed "Toxic". They all did their best to perform "Dashboard Lights" as a group, which was fun, but not trophy worthy.

Several people got up and sang solos. Kurt sang "Defying Gravity" just out of some leftover spite he still had. Sam performed his old standby, "Billionaire". Only the guys had heard him sing it before, so it was new to the girls. In a unusual turn of events, Sebastian approached Santana and asked her to reprise their "Smooth Criminal" duet, without the final slushie, of course. She agreed. It was definitely fun to watch.

Mr. Schue had each person come down front and tell a little about what they had been doing over the last five years.

Noah talked about his mechanic's certifications and raising his sister.

Mercedes was still singing back up on the indie label she had signed with five years previous, and she was getting close to having enough songs of her own to record her own album.

Brittany and Santana had graduated from college the previous year and had started a doggy and kitty daycare and boarding facility in Columbus. Santana had majored in business and Brittany had studied physical education, but her real love was still animals. Brittany worked part-time as the cheer coach for a small private school in addition to helping to run their business.

Sam talked about graduating with his B.F.A. and that he was starting graduate school in the fall. He talked about his forthcoming graphic novel that was being released the following month.

Finn mentioned his two terms with Americorps, his HVAC degree, and his current job working for one of the local heating and cooling companies.

Quinn had graduated from Yale's theatre department with a B.F.A. the previous year and had moved to New York afterwards. She had been auditioning for roles, but had yet to land one. She was living in a studio apartment with a fellow aspiring actress and working retail while continuing to audition.

Mike had finished his bachelor's degree the previous year as well, but opted to stay in New York taking any part he could get. He had gotten a few minor roles over the past year. Now that Tina had graduated, they were looking to relocate based on where she found a job. They were job hunting in big cities where there would be theatre and dance roles available as well.

Tina had changed her focus to business administration after her first semester when she realized that she wanted to be able to support herself and she didn't see a steady income in the arts as a performer. She still planned to pursue theatre roles, but she would be able to work a day job that made more than waiting tables while working to make her big break into show business.

Artie had just finished film school a week before the reunion and was hoping to get hired on with a film company and had sent out a lot of resumés but was waiting to hear back for interviews.

Blaine got up and discussed all of the parts he had gotten in TV shows during the two years he spent in California, which mostly added up to "guy number one near the elevator" and "man putting hot dog wrapper into the trash can" type roles. He hadn't landed anything with any spoken lines, but he didn't let that deter him from making it sound like he had made it big in Hollywood with the name-dropping in his story telling. He said that he was currently studying at a university in Cincinnati. He introduced Maggie to the group.

Kurt, Sebastian, and Sam were all surprised, but relieved that Blaine didn't attempt to interact with any of them on a personal level.

Kurt took Sebastian with him down front when it was his turn and held his hand during his entire summary. He outlined how he and Sebastian had been married nearly four years, they graduated with their B.A. and B.F.A. degrees two years previous and they had just completed their . and M. . degrees, they were headed back to France and that they had both gotten teaching positions for the fall.

Rachel stood and told that she was pursuing a B.F.A. in musical theatre and that she had gotten a part in a musical in Cleveland that was beginning rehearsals in a few weeks. She didn't talk about Funny Girl or New York at all.

Mr. Schue congratulated everyone on their successes and had the new members sing one final song before the 2012 reunion evening event started. Kurt, Sebastian, and Sam didn't stay for the evening event. Kurt had no interest in attending the reunion itself.

Instead, the three of them left to join Reid for dinner at the Hummel's.

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When Finn came home from the Class of 2012 reunion that evening, he came in the family room and pressed pause on the movie that everyone was watching, no longer fazed by the way that Kurt, Sebastian, and Sam were sitting together. He excitedly told them the gossip from the reunion. Blaine had been banned from ever speaking to Kurt or Sebastian or his trust fund would forfeit. His father had given him an ultimatum when he left NYADA. He was given two years to make it in LA while living with Cooper or at the end he had to go back to college and study something he could actually get a job doing.

He stayed the full two years, then enrolled in a sound engineering program in Cincinnati.

He also had to stop being gay. Maggie was his beard and was a lesbian who was in a similar situation with her well-to-do family. Both of them were merely playing a role until they turned 25 and could collect their trust funds.

They lived next door to each other in an apartment complex in Cincinnati with their actual significant others as their "roommates". Blaine had two more years of school.

Maggie had just graduated, but she was going to stay and get a job to be close to Blaine for the next two years, which happened to be when her girlfriend would be finishing her Master's program.

Kurt was sad for Blaine in a way because he knew how hard it had to be to pretend for so long, but it sounded like he had at least found something he wanted to study that he could get a job doing and still pursue roles if he wanted to after he graduated. And he was especially glad to hear that he had finally moved on.

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They had spent three days at the Hummel's prior to the New Directions reunion. Kurt checked his room one last time for anything he might want to take with him after the movie had ended that evening. He authorized Carole to donate whatever she didn't want to keep.

He brought the collage from their wedding with him and hung on the wall in his old room. They already had the same collage in Paris.

They left with Reid after the movie and they spent the next three days at Reid's place near Columbus. Reid took them to the airport when they left.

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Kurt and Sebastian moved into the apartment where Sebastian had grown up and they had spent every summer since they started dating. Mamie and Papi were getting up in years and Lisette moved in with them to make things easier on them. Their guest room was a suite and had a sitting room, so Lisette had her own space there.

Amélie and Lucien still lived on their own. Their flat required little care and all they needed help with was shopping, which Kurt and Sebastian did for them each week. Kurt and Sebastian both had part-time teaching positions. Sebastian worked on his Ph.D. while teaching. Kurt auditioned and got parts on several occasions and still enjoyed performing.

Kurt also took commissioned work for jewelry pieces and worked on costuming projects as an independent consultant.

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In Lisette's old bedroom, Kurt and Sebastian installed a Murphy bed and built-in bookcases. They bought a piano and turned the room into a combination music room, library, mini-dance hall, and guest room.

The one major renovation they did to the apartment was to update the bathroom. The claw foot tub was lovely, but completely impractical for the two tall occupants of the apartment who had become accustomed to showering together for nearly five years.

They replaced it with a large tiled shower with glass doors like the one in their house. They had the whole project done professionally because, unlike the house in Connecticut, they were not on the ground floor and any mistakes they made could cause the unit below them to flood or be water damaged and they weren't willing to risk the potential of the cost of repairs to someone else home. They had the project completed while they went to Strasbourg for Kurt's family reunion. Lisette graciously offered to stop by to make sure that the contractor's were doing their jobs.

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They remained friends with Adam, who came and stayed with them for a few days to a couple weeks late each summer, depending on his schedule. Adam worked on the West End in London. He had gotten large roles in several productions over the years. They visited him in London as well.

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The following summer, Annie graduated from high school. For making it as a family, Noah's gift to the two of them was to go to France. He wanted her to see just how different life was in other places. He had started putting back $100 a month the summer before she started high school. He insisted that she study French. He had planned their trip for four years without telling her. They stayed for four weeks. Kurt and Sebastian took them to the places they wanted to go. They also took them to the Loire Valley and Strasbourg and a couple of other day trips to different regions in France.

Annie fell in love with France. She continued studying French in college. She did her junior year abroad in the southern part of France and loved every minute of it.

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Rachel graduated with her B.F.A. the same year that Annie graduated from high school. She began auditioning for larger roles in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Indianapolis, but she had learned her lesson about taking roles that lasted more than three to four weeks. She didn't have it in her to withstand the monotony of performing the same role for more than a month.

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Sam and Millie met at a con in Hartford when he was in his first year of graduate school. She was every bit the sci fi geek that Sam was. She travelled with him to other cons that he and Thad went to for book signings. She was the partner that Kurt had always hoped that Sam would find. In appearance, she reminded Kurt of a younger Famke Jannsen. She was tall, athletic and really funny. She did impressions as well, and once you got the two of them going, no one could keep from nearly laughing themselves out of their seats.

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Sam's family was still living in Kentucky the first spring of his Master's program, but his parents had been applying for positions in Hartford and Dwight managed to get a job that would start that summer.

Mary had been substitute teaching for several years and she applied for a teacher's aide position and got it. She would be working full-time during the school year at the school where Sam had been working at the camp.

At first, the move was hard on his brother and sister because they had to make all new friends. Stacey was starting junior high and Stevie, who preferred to be called Steven, was staring high school. Once they actually started classes and found how much better the schools were, they settled in and made new friends and enjoyed going to schools that had so many options they had never had before.

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By the time Sam finished his M.F.A., he and Thad had published six graphic novels and were working on completing the 10-part series.

Kurt and Sebastian sold the house in Hartford to Sam after he finished his M.F.A. and decided to stay in Hartford. He and Thad continued to collaborate. Sam also signed with the publishing company to work on illustrating other author's graphic novels and children's books.

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Sam and Millie came and stayed with them for two months at the beginning of every summer, like Sam had before he met her. Even once they had finished school and Sam's illustrating career had taken off, they still spent two months in France each year. Millie became a college physics professor and had summers off, making travel easier. Sam and Millie got married after Sam finished his M.F.A.

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That same summer, Nick and Jeff came out publicly. They had just finished their law degrees and they had both turned 25 during the school year and gained access to their trust funds upon their graduation. They had played the long game. They had been together for 10 years without outing themselves to their families. They got married in Boston in a small ceremony that their families refused to attend. They both got positions in a law firm in Boston that specialized in helping LGBTQ+ people with legal issues. They travelled to France every year or two and stayed with Kurt and Sebastian.

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Sam and Millie had a baby girl a year later.

Kurt and Sebastian became Lila's uncles. Sam painted a fabulous fantasy themed mural on all four walls and ceiling of the bedroom for her.

Sam and Lila hired a student from France to watch Lila while she taught her courses. Millie knew that the three of them would be spending their summers in France every year with Sam's brother and brother-in-law, like they had always done, and she wanted Lila to speak the language.

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Kurt and Sebastian had stayed in casual contact with Elliott over the years and were very excited for him when he won American Idol and went on to a solo record career where he performed for sold-out crowds.

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Kurt and Sebastian became uncles a second time. Philipe married a woman named Celine and had twin boys, Liam and Pièrre. Kurt and Sebastian opted to not have children of their own, but spent a lot of time with their nephews and with their niece every summer. Lila loved Liam and Pièrre and enjoyed teaching them everything she knew in her vast knowledge of being two years older than they were.

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Sadly, not long after that, Kurt's grandpa, Lucien died. Through much talk and negotiation, Amélie agreed to move into Sebastian's grandparents' house. Her other option was a retirement community and she wasn't ready for that. There was plenty of room for her in the Delarue's home. Being closer to where Kurt and Sebastian lived and the fact that Lisette lived there made everything easier for everyone.

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Finn married Marlene, whom he had met when he was going to community college. They had dated for a while, but she took a job in another town, but moved back to Lima a few years later. They started going out again after she moved back.

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Noah followed through with all of his training and eventually became a master mechanic and took over Cassius' position in the shop when he retired. Annie went to college in Columbus at OSU. At age 28, after Annie graduated from college, Noah bought a house in Lima.

He met the realtor at his synagogue. Rebecca was new to Lima and had moved there to care for her aging grandfather. She and Noah hit it off and started dating.

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Kurt and Sebastian didn't attend their 10 year class reunions, but Finn was more than happy to share the gossip from the event.

Brittany and Santana were still together, as were Mike and Tina.

Quinn wasn't married or seeing anyone, but she had been getting good parts in indie movies.

Rachel was still working in theater.

Blaine had gotten his trust fund and had moved back to LA, where he bought a small house. He was working in the music industry, and still auditioning and getting small roles. Finn had gotten his information about Blaine from Rachel, who had been the only only one to still have anything to do with him. Mercedes had her own solo music career and had released two CDs. Artie was working for a film company.

Kurt already knew what Noah had been doing because they had kept in contact, which was always amusing to Kurt because Noah would have been the last person in Glee that he would have thought he would have ended up keeping in contact with.

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After Sebastian finished his Ph.D. program, he took a full-time position as a professor at a university in Paris. In his free time, he wrote novels. He published the first one near their 10th anniversary. It was a historical fiction novel set in the late 1800s in Paris. It was well received and sold well for the genre.

Although Kurt never launched extensive lines of jewelry or accessories, his Serendipitous line remained popular and sought after. He continued to work in theater, both in performance roles and in costume design. He enjoyed the variety of the work he did, always finding ways to let his creativity shine.

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Finn and Marlene had two children before Finn turned 30 - a girl they named Angelina and a boy they named Brian. Burt and Carole were thrilled to have grandchildren to spoil.

After Brian was born, Burt sold the house to Finn and Marlene. He and Carole moved to a smaller two-bedroom house nearby.

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Noah and Rebecca got married the summer after he turned 30. She had been living with her grandfather and stayed in his home after he had passed on. She sold the house and they lived in the house that Noah had bought.

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Burt served eight terms in Congress, retiring after serving 15 years. When he retired from Congress, he returned to living full time in Lima. Carole continued on the school board for many years. The changes she instigated had long lasting beneficial effects on the Lima school district.

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Rachel loved theatre and continuously landed lead roles in short-term productions. She enjoyed her nomadic life of working in theaters across the Midwest. She loved being the star and the thrill of opening new shows. She was able to do what she loved without having to settle into the boredom of doing a single show for months or years.

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Lila, Liam and Pièrre were in high school before they realized that they weren't actually related by blood. The six adults had a good laugh when they caught them trying to make a family tree for some school project that Liam and Pièrre were working on one summer when Lila was there. Liam and Pièrre were certain that Uncle Sam was Uncle Kurt's brother because that's all they had ever heard him called. Lila called Kurt's grandma her great grandmother. The three of them had worked on it for quite a while before their parents looked to see what they were working so hard on at the dining table. Kurt straightened all of the details out by drawing the family tree for them. In the end, they decided they were cousins, no matter what a piece of paper had written on it.

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Burt convinced Noah to take a few classes at the Lima Community College in business and accounting when he was foreman at Hummel Tire and Lube. When Burt decided to retire five years after returning to Lima, he sold the shop to Noah.

Burt and Carole travelled to Paris and stayed for two months the spring they retired.

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Kurt and Sebastian celebrated their 20th anniversary at home the June between their 40th birthdays. They were still very happily married. Kurt continued with his theater, costuming, and jewelry work. Sebastian was still a professor. In the 10 years since his first novel was published, he had published four more.

They still went out dancing together. They cooked together. They still managed to find parts of Paris to see for the first time. Kurt still rocked up onto his toes when he was excited and it never failed to bring a smile to Sebastian's face.

They spent the afternoon of their anniversary cooking a fancy meal for themselves, including a cheesecake as an homage to their wedding dinner. After they ate, they spent quite a while dancing around their music room, followed by reading to each other snuggled up in bed.

After they had turned the lights off, Kurt surprised Sebastian by playing the recording that Philipe had used for their entrance the night of their wedding party. They both sang along. Twenty years later, they still ran to each other. They curled up together the way they had every night for over 21 years, never having spent a single night apart - utterly and deeply in love.


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